Shattered Twilight
by Gamegirl27
Summary: After T.P. What would happen if the shards from the Mirror of Twilight summoned up demon dragons from hell to destroy Hyrule? What if a certain someone came back for his revenge? What if the Goddesses of the Triforce fought alongside the Chosen Hero?
1. Prologue: Untold Tale

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Zelda. I know, it's very sad, but I will live on in life... somehow...

**Note:** Please R&R! This is my first game fan fic. Enjoy!

**Prologue- Untold Tale**

The Mirror of Twilight: a dangerous connection between the world of light and shadow,

leading from the world of light to the unwanted world of shadow.

_Light and Shadow can't mix, as we all know_

_But… never forget that there's another world bound to this one_

The Mirror of Twilight: was sent to fulfill a destiny,

sent to ones who were destined to meet.

_I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. _

_They left it because it was their design that we should meet._

The Mirror of Twilight: a fake can only break it into pieces,

only the true ruler of the Twilight can utterly shatter it.

_Link… I… see you later. _

_As the mirror began to shatter, Link glanced one last time into the face of the Twilight Princess. Midna smiled at him as her body dispersed and began the journey back to her world. _

_As soon as her body disappeared, the mirror that had kept their worlds connected shattered into millions of pieces. _

_Link knelt to the ground. He reached out carefully and picked up a piece of the shattered mirror. As he continued to stare at it, he felt a comforting hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up into Princess Zelda's gentle blue eyes. _

_Zelda didn't know how else to comfort the hurting hero. She knew his heart was slowly breaking, hers was as well. _

_Link stood up. He gave Zelda a small smile and nodded, assuring her that he would be alright. He then placed the mirror shard into the pouch on his belt and headed for the exit to the Arbiter's Grounds._

"_What will you do now, Link?" Zelda asked. _

"_My adventure has neared an end," he stopped and pulled out the Master Sword. "It's time I return the Master Sword to its rightful place."_

The Mirror of Twilight: dangerous whole, but even worse when shattered…

Whole leads to the world of Twilight

Broken possess great power to overcome

Shattered brings calamity by summoning dragons and the devil himself from the pits of hell to shatter Hyrule.

The hero must rise again, but he cannot fight this battle alone.

Hyrule's only hope… the ones who sent the Mirror of Twilight.

_Do not think this ends here…_

_The history of light and shadow will be written in blood! _


	2. Chapter 1: Not Over

**Disclaimer:** Are you serious?! It was just a dream?! Oh man! I guess I still don't own Zelda! :(

**Note: **Thanks a bunch for reading! I would personally like to thank **Twilightwing**, **Shammru**, **NUTCASE71733**, and **PJ141991 **for the awesome reviews! Thank you **Twilightwing **and **catkitten12 **for adding me as a favorite! And thanks to **NUTCASE71733 **and **foolish-name **for subscribing to my story. Thank you for the advice **PJ141991 **and don't worry, you'll find out what I have planned with the whole devil thing later on in the story.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Not Over**

"Nice job herdin today, Link!" Fado said happily to a worn out Link and Epona. "Much obliged to you!"

"Anytime, Fado," Link said as he slowly dismounted Epona. He reached into the small pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a carrot.

Fado watched the young boy give Epona the carrot, who happily gobbled it up, and gently stroke her nose. Fado was concerned about how Link was acting since he returned from his adventure. "Is something bothering you, Link?"

"Hmm… what?" Link came out of his thoughts to find the ranch owner staring at him. "Oh, sure. I'm fine," Link tried to give a reassuring smile, but failed miserably.

"You haven't been yourself for the last two weeks. What's the problem?" Fado continued. "Did something happen on your adventure that's eaten away at your heart?"

Link flinched. Fado had hit the bull's eye. Link wanted to talk, but he didn't want to reveal _everything_ that happened on his adventure.

"Honestly, I'll be fine. It'll pass," Link tried to reassure Fado again as he got back onto Epona's back. "I think I'll go home for a snooze."

Fado looked to the sky. The sun was just barely creeping to the middle. "But it's barely past morning."

"I didn't sleep good last night. I'll see you later, Fado," Link waved as he urged Epona towards the gate.

"Link…"

Link stopped Epona and turned to face Fado.

"If you ever need to talk about anything, let me know. Sometimes, it does the heart good to let something that's weighting it down out."

* * *

Link lay awake on a cloth mat in the middle of his house. He thought he was tired, but when he returned home, he couldn't sleep.

Instead, he looked at the shard he had saved from the Mirror of Twilight. He turned it around and around between his forefinger and his thumb. The afternoon sun that came shining down through the roof, made it glow a gentle black.

By looking at that shard, Link could see Midna. He could see her in his head. He saw the first time he met her, when she had almost been killed by Zant, when she had revived Zelda, when he first saw her in her true form, and when she had disappeared, for the last time, back into Twilight.

He hadn't been able to transform since she left. She had taken the Shadow Crystal with her. He sometimes wished he could be a wolf again, but… it wouldn't be the same without Midna on his back.

Link got up off the mat. The afternoon light cast a shadow on the ground. He looked at his own shadow. It was just his shadow; there was no Midna hiding in it anymore.

"Link?! You in there?!" Link could hear the kids calling from outside his house.

He walked to a table near his fireplace and grabbed the bottle that sat on top. He opened it and placed the mirror shard inside. He didn't want anything to happen to it and he knew it would be safe in the bottle.

Link emerged from his house to find Colin, Malo, Talo, and Beth waiting for him.

"Where've you been, Link? You were supposed to give us sword lessons today, remember?" Talo said energetically.

_Sword lessons? Oh… right. _Link had completely forgotten. He didn't want to forget. He had to at least pretend to be himself, at least around the kids. They looked up to him even more as a hero now.

Link shook his head. _I can't let this take over my life. But… _Link sighed. _How can you know someone for such a short amount of time, yet have them stay in your heart forever? _

"Are you okay, Link?" Link emerged from his thoughts. Colin was looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine," Link smiled. "Come on. We'll go see if Fado will let us use the ranch field to practice on."

The kids cheered and started to race towards the ranch.

Link walked over to Epona. She stood peacefully by the house. "I'll leave you here, Epona. You've worked hard this morning. You deserve some rest."

Epona made a soft neigh and nuzzled her nose against Link's cheek.

Link couldn't help, but to smile.

* * *

Scarecrows were scattered over the ranch field. Colin, Malo, and Talo were all attempting to fight their own scarecrow. Beth had decided to sit off to the side and watch the boys' pathetic attempts at beheading the scarecrows. Ilia had come to watch as well and sat next to Beth on the grass.

"Am I doing this right, Link?" Link looked at Talo. He was trying to stab the scarecrow in front of him, but he kept missing it.

"Here, Talo," Link gently grabbed Talo's arm and guided him through the steps. "You have to keep both eyes open. And don't be hesitant when you go to stab. Now try it."

Once Link let go of his arm, Talo went through the steps and successfully stabbed his scarecrow in the stomach. A smile crossed his face.

"Good job. Remember, don't be hesitant. An enemy won't wait for you to redo an attack."

"Link! Link! Watch me do a spin attack!"

"All right, Colin," Link chuckled. "Let me see."

Colin started about ten feet away from his scarecrow and started to spin. The boy spun so fast, he completely missed his target and kept spinning away from it. He finally became too dizzy and fell down into the soft grass.

Link couldn't help but laugh. "You have to do it in one motion, Colin!"

"How's it going, Link?" Link turned to see Rusl approaching from the ranch gate.

"Pretty good," Link turned back to the field. "These kids learn faster than I thought."

"I wouldn't put it past them. You're their hero, Link. If you're teaching them, they'll listen and follow anything you say," Rusl glanced across the field. Colin was recovering from his spin and trying to figure out how to do the attack in one motion. "Colin has improved."

"Yeah," Link chuckled. "For someone who didn't even want to use a sword, he's probably the best fighter of the kids."

"He wants to learn so he can protect his little sister."

Link smiled, "How is Abigail?"

"She's good. At home with Uli right now," Rusl smiled. "She's discovering something new every day. For some strange reason, she really likes the fork."

They both laughed.

An explosion broke the peace that covered Ordon. A god awful roar pierced the air soon after the explosion.

"What's that sound?!" Beth yelled over the roar. She ran closer to Link, feeling safer by him.

"I don't know!"

"Link, look!" Link noticed Ilia pointing towards his house. A thick, black cloud of smoke was rising. "Your house!"

_Epona._ "Let's go!"

* * *

Link and Rusl ran towards the continuously rising cloud of smoke. Ilia and the kids followed closely behind them.

The clearing where Link's house once stood, was nothing more but a flaming pit now. The flames licked at the surrounding trees, setting the woods on fire.

"Where's Epona?! Epona!" Link called. He played her song on Ilia's gift. She didn't come.

Just then, a low growling could be heard. It came from behind the flaming trees. Rusl and the children looked around, trying to find the source of the terrible growl. They couldn't see anything.

Even though Link was human, he still had the senses of a wolf. He slowly scanned the flaming trees with his sharp blue eyes. He stopped when he saw a black figure start moving towards them.

"Get down!" He pushed Ilia and the kids down and Rusl ducked just as a flame stream skimmed over them.

Once Link felt the stream disperse, he quickly stood up and looked back to where he saw the black figure. His eyes widened when he saw what it was.

Rising from the flaming woods, was a dragon. It's dark, mahogany hide glistened like the faint light of an eclipse. Charcoal, black eyes, flaming with hatred glared down at the small group of Ordonians.

It gave another roar, then flew at incredible speed toward the village.

"We have to protect the village!" Rusl shouted as he ran after the dragon.

Link started to follow Rusl, "Kids! Stay close to me!"

* * *

"Over here!"

"No, this way!" Bo and Rusl called to the dragon. They hoped to distract it so Link could attempt to kill it.

"Hang on, guys!" Link readied his bow, aimed for the dragon's belly, and fired.

The dragon let out a piercing roar as Link's arrow pierced through the fragile skin of the belly, and dug its way into the heart.

"Nice shot, Link!" Bo shouted triumphantly.

"We haven't won yet, Bo!" Link shouted over the roar and continued to gaze at the dragon.

Bo looked up to see the dragon still flying. He wasn't dead, the arrow just made him angrier. He let out another fire stream, setting the ranch on fire.

Link took the opportunity to get a bomb arrow ready. He fired once more at the heart.

The dragon was just plain mad now. It roared once more and swooped down towards Link.

Link rolled out of the way. "I thought dragon's bellies were supposed to be vulnerable!"

"That thing isn't normal!" Bo stared in horror.

Rusl approached Link. "It's destroying the village! We have to get it away or kill it somehow!"

Link gazed around. What was once a peaceful village was now a burning hell. IT seemed like all hell had been unleashed. His gaze stopped on the people. Everyone was safe, but he didn't know for how much longer. "Rusl! Take care of everyone! I'll lure it away from here!"

"Link, it's too risky to do it alone! Link!" Rusl couldn't stop Link.

Link shot another bomb arrow at the dragon.

Feeling the blast, the dragon looked down to see Link running towards the woods.

* * *

Link crashed to the ground for the fifth time. The dragon had continuously lifted him into the air and thrown him to the flaming ground below.

Link struggled to stand on his feet. It was becoming harder to move his body. He coughed. All the smoke from the woods was making his vision blurry.

The dragon caught him off guard and pinned him to the ground with his giant foot. It slowly kept adding pressure, crushing Link.

Link closed his eyes. _This can't be the end. It just can't be! _

A bright light pierced through the flames. The dragon hissed and let the young Ordonian go.

Link felt the crushing foot lift off of him. He opened his eyes. _Where's that light coming from? _His eyes widened when he saw the Light Spirit, Ordona, standing between him and the dragon.

Ordona stared at the hissing dragon. Link noticed they were about the same size.

"I protect these woods and that village. Be gone, demon!" Ordona's light shone so bright, Link had to cover his eyes.

The dragon roared and lunged toward the Light Spirit.

Link stared in horror as the dragon grabbed Ordona's light orb and crushed it between his claws.

Ordona's glowing figure began to crack. The cracking inched its way all over until Ordona finally exploded.

"Ordona!"

Link quickly looked back to the dragon. It was speeding towards him again. Link reached for his sword, but he didn't have time.

Suddenly, the dragon stopped in mid lunge. It roared and clawed away at it's eye. Link stared in confusion, until he saw a light arrow fly out of the flames and hit the dragon's other eye.

The dragon gave one final roar, then fell to the ground, dead.

Link cautiously inched closer to the dragon. There was an arrow in each eye. Blood was pouring out of them.

A familiar neigh could be heard in the distance.

"Epona?" Link turned around to see Epona walking through the flames towards him. Link was even more surprised when he saw that Zelda was riding on Epona's back.

"Princess Zelda?"

"Link, there's something that Midna has failed to tell us about the Mirror of Twilight."


	3. Chapter 2: Darkness is Overpowering

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't own Zelda. I know... it's very depressing!! But I do own the ideas I get from it. That's a plus. Yay!

**Note:** Thank you for all your reviews and subscriptions everyone!! I'm sorry this chapter took so long to be posted up, I was having a major brain fart. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

**Ch. 2 – Darkness is Overpowering**

The inferno that ate away at the woods and the village, finally started to diminish and die. Peace returned to the area, but it wasn't the same as before the attack. Ordona had kept the peace, making the Ordonians feel safe, but the once wonderful peace of mind that the villagers held dear, died with Ordona.

That peace was barely kept alive by the faith of the Ordonians, who readied and prepared themselves to rebuild their village. Rebuild it into something greater than before.

"Daddy, can we have a bigger house?!" Beth asked hopefully.

"We want our own rooms!" Malo and Talo shouted in unison.

"We could build an inn for travelers. Kinda like the one they have in Kakariko." Colin piped in.

The adults smiled. They were happy that the children could let go off the dreaded past and look to something greater in the future.

As the Ordonians busied themselves with the plans for the new village, one man didn't participate.

Link leaned up against what was left of the giant tree that stood over Hanch, Sera, and Beth's house. He watched the determined faces of the adults, wanting to get started so the children could have a home. He smiled at the children's enthusiasm at the thought of a new life. This was like another adventure for them.

Feeling very uncomfortable, Link tried to reposition himself against the tree.

"What did I tell you?" Link looked up into the gentle, blue eyes of Princess Zelda. She stood in front of him, holding a bowl the size of a pumpkin between her hands. She knelt down beside him. "I told you not to move."

"I'm fine," Link tried to reassure her, wanting to get up and help the villagers. "You've already healed my burns and gashes."

"That's true, but I haven't healed your internal injuries. Here," Zelda handed Link the large bowl.

Link slowly took the bowl from her hands and looked into it. A pearly, white liquid lay like glass in the bowl. Swirls of pink and purple made unique patterns on top of the glass. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Link asked confused, wondering what the substance was.

"Drink it."

Link glanced at it one last time. Then, he brought the bowl to his lips and took a big gulp.

Next thing he knew, he was coughing it back out.

"This stuff is terrible! It tastes like rotten goat cheese!"

Zelda tried to hold back a laugh. The look on Link's face was priceless.

"You must drink it all, Link. I can't heal the inside of your body, even with my magic. You inhaled a lot of smoke, which could cause damage to your lungs. Plus, your broken ribs are slowly starting to puncture through your skin, causing internal bleeding. Drinking that will heal you quickly."

"Do I even want to know what's in this stuff?!" Link asked as he gave the bowl a disgusted look and braced himself for the terrible taste as he brought it back up to his lips.

"Just hot springwater, goat milk, and fairy dust. It's really the fairy dust that does all the work. The milk and water are just for flavor."

Link forced the last bit of the substance down to his belly. He grimaced, "Why can't you just give me the fairy?" It felt like it was going to come back out again, but he managed to keep it down.

Zelda smiled. "Fairies can only heal outer injuries. Unless you want to swallow a live fairy, this is the only way to heal any internal injuries. At least that was what I was taught."

Taking in deep breaths, Link closed his eyes and waited for his stomach to stop churning before he talked again.

Finally, Link opened his eyes and looked directly at Zelda. "All right, Zelda. What's going on?"

Zelda sighed and repositioned herself on the ground so she would be comfortable because she knew she would be there for a while.

"I have found out, recently, that no matter what state the Mirror of Twilight is in, it poses a threat to the land. When it's whole, it leads to the realm of Twilight. When it's broken, it turns the holder into an unspeakable monster. But when it is shattered, the pieces summon."

"Summon? How?" Link asked.

"You know when the light from the mirror shines on tat stone, and that light leads to Twilight?"

Link could see Midna disappearing again. He shook his head to get rid of the thought. "Yes, I know."

"Well… this goes back to the 'poses a threat' thing I mentioned earlier," Zelda didn't know how to explain the oncoming news to Link, but she tried as best she could. "The reason it possess when it's broken is because that light still shines; only we can't see the light. Same goes when it is shattered. Only this time, the light is shining down. That light calls the devil. He then transforms the spirits of the underworld into Matchitehew Draca."

"Machiti what?" Link held his head, not being able to fully take all the information in.

"Matchitehew Draca. Known to us as dragon's possessing evil spirits. A demon dragon from hell, that was what attacked your village."

The dragon's behavior was slowly becoming clear to Link. "Is that why when I pierced the belly, it didn't die?"

"Correct," Zelda nodded. "You can't kill them by piercing the heart because they don't have real hearts. Their vulnerable point, is the eyes. That's what kills them."

Link remembered what happened back in the woods. "Why the eyes?"

"Satan overpowers the spirit's mind when it transforms into a dragon. They don't have freewill. Their eyes are the weak points because their eyes are deceiving them. They can no longer see the truth, just what the devil wants to hunt down and destroy."

Link let out a deep breath, "And that's us, right?"

"Yes, because we are the chosen ones of the goddesses. And if Ganondorf were still alive, they'd hunt him down too. They'll destroy anyone or anything that gets in their way."

"So, they want to kill us because we are the only ones who have the power to destroy them."

"That's partially right," Zelda confirmed. "We can only _help _the ones who are destined to destroy them."

"Then," Link pondered, "if we can't destroy them… who can?"

Zelda smiled, "The goddesses of the Triforce."

Link stared wide-eyed at the Princess. "Okay, Zelda, I think you're confused. They're gods, heavenly beings. We're Hylians. How can we possibly converse with them?!"

"We _can _converse with them," Zelda continued to smile. "I had a vision in my dreams. The goddesses told me that they would come, in a physical form, to help save the land from its darkest hour. What do you call that?"

Link shrugged, "A coincidence?"

"Prophecy. We are needed again to help save Hyrule. But this time, the threat is much worse than what Zant and Ganondorf had done."

"What form are the goddesses planning to take?"

Zelda looked down, "Unfortunately, I don't know. But until we find them, we do have an upper hand. The demon dragons form into a physical being in this world from the shards of the Mirror of Twilight. Fortunately, all the shards are in one place and not scattered. Still," Zelda looked around at the burnt down village. She sighed, "I wish I would've known sooner. Then I could've warned you."

Link shook his head, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have kept it. But, it was the last remnant I had…"

Zelda scooted forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Her departure still grieves me too, Link, but I can't imagine what you are going through now. I'm truly sorry and I wish there was some way I could help."

"Well, is there any bad news about the dragons?"

Zelda removed her hand. "Unfortunately, yes. The dragons are coming in swarms. We never know when they're going to come out and attack. I have fought endlessly against these demons all morning, to secure the safety of my people. I have even placed a barrier around the castle. It should hold until I return."

Link noticed Zelda fiddling with her hands. He looked down and noticed dried blood stained on her pearly, white gloves.

He took her hands and looked directly into her eyes. "You won't fight alone anymore. I will fight by your side and we will find the goddesses. We will stop this rade from hell before they destroy Hyrule. The people will not live in fear anymore. I promise."

Zelda smiled, "Thank you."

"Princess Zelda and Link, sittin under a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Link and Zelda looked away from each other and saw Malo, Talo, and Beth making kissing faces and laughing.

Link realized he was still holding Zelda's hands. He let go and they turned from each other, blushing.

"All right, kids. Go help your parents," Link stammered, clearly embarrassed.

The kids finally ran back to their parents, giggling the whole way back.

Link and Zelda both sighed.

"Well then," Link stood up and held out his hand to Zelda. "That disgusting fairy stuff worked and I'm feeling better. Shall we set out on our quest to save Hyrule from the powers of darkness once again?"

Zelda reached out her hand and took Link's. He pulled her up. She smiled, "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 3: Reclaim, Destroy, and Protect

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Zelda. I might someday... HA! Like that'll ever happen. Hey, a girl can dream...

**Note: **Sorry this chapter took so long to post up. I had some crap I had to deal with in my life and I couldn't concentrate whenever I sat down to write. The crap is gone and I wrote a nice long chapter for you guys. Yay! Anyway, thanks to all the readers, you know who you are. :) And I hope you enjoy Chapter 3 of Shattered Twilight.

* * *

**Ch. 3 – Reclaim, Destroy, and Protect**

The silver wall that surrounded the village slowly crept up to the sky. The wall seemed to come together right above the heart of the village, making a dome like barrier.

Zelda did not stop praying until she knew the barrier was complete. Her hands came apart and the silver dome suddenly vanished from sight, like it was never even there to begin with.

"Don't worry," Zelda reassured the villagers, their worried faces scanning the area for their protection. "You can't see the barrier, but it is there. Nothing shall harm you."

A sigh and small murmurs of thanks went around the small group of Ordonians. For the first time in three days, they felt safe.

From the group, Bo stepped out and approached Zelda. He kneeled before her, "Your Highness, on behalf of the village of Ordon, we thank you. Your kindness and generosity have brought hope and peace back to this village. I just wish there was something we could do to repay you for all you've done."

Bo felt gentle hands rest on his broad shoulders. He glanced up into Zelda's smiling face.

"Do not kneel before me. I come to your village not as your princess, but as a friend," she beckoned Bo to stand. "Your kind words and hospitality are more than enough. I thank the goddesses that I was able to get here in time and that no one was killed."

"Princess," Zelda turned around to see Link guiding Epona towards her, "We are ready to go. Whenever you're ready."

Zelda nodded and turned back to the Ordonians. "I'm afraid the time for goodbyes is at hand. We must depart, for I have left my people alone for too long."

Link noticed the children were smiling and nodding to each other. They walked up to Zelda and Link and bowed before them.

"Thank you and good luck on your journey," they all said in unison.

The adults followed suit. Link and Zelda found the entire village bowing before them.

"May the goddesses of power, wisdom, and courage protect you on your journey," Bo could do nothing more, but hope that this blessing would reach the goddesses and take care of the two young Hylians that stood before him.

"And please," Ilia stepped forward, "come home safely." Ilia's words were for both Zelda and Link, but Link noticed Ilia looking right at him when she spoke.

Link helped Zelda onto Epona and then mounted himself. They both gave one last wave, then Epona was running through the burnt down woods towards Hyrule Field.

* * *

"Wait, Link!"

Link quickly pulled on the reigns and Epona abruptly stopped before the spirit spring in Faron Woods.

"What's wrong?!" Link scanned the woods, searching for an enemy, or even worse, a hell dragon, hiding somewhere nearby.

"Listen," Zelda put her delicate fingers over Link's mouth to keep him quiet.

A soft, tinkling sound like the weeping of a fairy could be heard coming from the spirit spring.

Zelda dismounted Epona and slowly walked into the spring, not caring about her elegant dress getting wet.

Link dismounted, as well, and walked up and stood beside Zelda.

"Faron," Zelda called softly.

A light orb appeared before them. Soon after, Faron's body appeared, hugging the orb as his long tail slowly wrapped around him.

"Princess Zelda… what an honor it is to see you well," Faron gave a small smile.

"The honor is all mine, Faron," Zelda gave a small bow before the Light Spirit.

Faron turned his head, "And Link, the chosen hero, is here as well."

Following Zelda's actions, Link gave a small bow.

Faron tried to smile for the two Hylians, but he was unable to hide the misery that flooded his eyes.

"Oh, Faron, does the loss of Ordona grieve you?" Zelda desperately asked. She hated to see this spirit hurting so.

Faron nodded, "Ordona's death has spread to the other Light Spirits. Hyrule is a darker place now. The devil is using those demons to destroy us, so there will be no more light in Hyrule."

Link stepped closer to the grieving spirit. "Faron, I swear, even if it means losing my life, I will not let the devil win. Hyrule will never see the evil darkness that threatens to cover it again. And," Link looked away from Faron, "Ordona died… protecting me. I will forever want to turn back time, back to that moment, so I could do something to save him. I'm truly sorry."

There was silence between the three as Faron and Zelda stared at Link.

Link gazed back up into Faron's eyes, expecting anger. Instead, Faron had a smile, slowly growing broader on his face. The misery that had once filled his eyes had drained.

"Ordona said if he ever should die, he hoped he would die doing something he believed was right. He died protecting someone. And not just anyone, the chosen hero. I now know he is in a better place with the goddesses and his light will shine from heaven down onto Hyrule, always. Oh, Link," Faron smiled at Link, "thank you for telling me that."

Link was surprised by the reaction, but he smiled at the spirit's happiness.

"Faron," Zelda stepped up to the spirit, "Ordona will shine his light on Ordon from heaven, but could you look after Ordon as well? The woods are dad and the Ordonians need hope, they need light. Please, look after them."

Faron gazed towards the border line where Faron Woods met Ordon. Lushes, green tress suddenly turned into bare, black trees. Smoke still continued to rise from the burnt out inferno.

"It will take time, but I will look after them. They shall see light once again."

"Thank you, Faron," Link and Zelda bowed again to the Light Spirit.

"No, thank you. You have eased my grief. Now I am at peace once again. I shall inform the other Light Spirits and they will be happy as well. May the goddesses shine down on you and protect you on your way."

With a bow of his head, Faron's body dispersed into what seemed like hundreds of fireflies.

Link and Zelda continued to stare until the last speck of light was gone.

"Link, we have to make one more stop before we go."

Link looked at Zelda confused, "Where, exactly?"

Zelda held her hand out. "Give me your hand."

Link slowly reached out his hand. As soon as his hand met hers, a strong wind blew around them.

The last thing Link heard was a soft humming, like the hum of a child, coming from the spirit spring.

* * *

The strong wind finally died down. Link opened his eyes. He was still holding Zelda's hand, but they weren't at the spirit spring anymore.

It took Link a second to realize that they were in the ruins of the Temple of Time… the sacred grove… the resting place of the Master Sword.

"Come on," Zelda lead Link between the two guardian statues and through the crumbling, narrow hall.

The two emerged into a large, circular, grassy area. Trees surrounded and covered the open space. The only light that broke through the trees, shone down on a sword.

Zelda let go of Link's hand and looked into his eyes. "It's been waiting for you."

Link looked away from Zelda and towards the blade of evil's bane. He took a quick breath and slowly walked towards it.

As he drew nearer, the sacred blade gave a radiant glow, sensing the presence of its master.

Link was finally inches away from the sword. As he hovered over it, he remembered how it had saved him from being trapped as a wolf. He remembered destroying countless foes and even piercing through Ganondorf with this very blade.

"Hello, old friend," Link smiled as he reached out to touch it. A surge of energetic power coursed through him as he grasped the cool hilt and pulled the Master Sword out of its pedestal.

Link held the majestic sword over his head so the blade caught the light from the sun. The glow and power that emanated from the sword told Link that it was ready for action.

A god-awful roar pierced the peace that surrounded the sacred grove.

Link quickly looked to the sky, remembering that dark, mahogany hide and those evil, black eyes. _I know that roar anywhere…_

"Link! My people are in danger! We must go, now!" Zelda ran up to Link and took his hand. Before he could react, the strong wind picked up again.

* * *

The roar came again and again as Epona raced across Faron Province. Dark clouds loomed and swirled over Hyrule Castle.

"I hear it, but I don't see it!" Link shouted to Zelda over the thunderous roars.

"It's probably hiding above the clouds!" Zelda shouted back. "We'll have to get closer to the castle if we want it to show itself!"

As they neared the steps to Castle Town, a thick lightning bolt shot down from the sky, right in front of Epona.

Link jerked the reigns back so they wouldn't be shocked. Epona reared up, spooked from the lightning and the dragon's presence.

Link quickly looked up to the black sky and, sure enough, he saw a navy blue dragon creep out of the clouds.

This dragon's coloring was much different than the mahogany one Link encountered. This one was a dark, navy blue, like the color of the night sky. Metallic, silver stripes lined and zigzagged over its dark hide like lightning. The only thing similar about the two dragons was the eyes. Those charcoal, black eyes, both flaming with hatred.

Link was so entranced by the beauty of the dragon, that he didn't see the sparkling energy ball forming in its mouth.

"Link!" Link came to his senses and was barely able to move Epona as the lightning struck the ground.

"No way!" Link stared in horror as the dragon disappeared above the clouds once again. "I thought dragons only breathe fire!"

Zelda shook her head. "These dragons control the elements and other phenomenon. You have to be ready for anything."

The sky began to glow.

"Run, Epona!" Link urged Epona to keep running as lightning kept flashing from the sky, threatening to strike the Hylians down.

"We'll never be able to kill it if we can't see it!" Zelda shouted as she readied her light arrows. "Got any ideas?!"

Link looked around, trying to find another idea then the one he had, but to no prevail. "Just one. Here," he handed Zelda the reigns. "Stay on my left, but don't stop running, no matter what."

As soon as Zelda had a firm hold on Epona's reigns, Link jumped. He rolled forward to illuminate the impact of the fall and took out his bow. He reached into his quiver for an arrow, never taking his eyes off the sky.

_Come on… come on… _

The navy blue hide appeared again. The dragon's eyes never left Link as another lightning ball began to form in its mouth.

Link knew he only had one shot because he couldn't dodge the bolt that was to come. He waited until the dragon was ready to strike. "Zelda, now!"

A light arrow pierced through the dark sky and hit the dragon's left eye.

The lightning dispersed from its mouth as the dragon gave a roar of pain. It hovered in midair as it clawed away at the arrow in its eye.

_That's one. _Link thought to himself as he readied his bow. He aimed his arrow and fired.

The dragon's agonizing roar grew louder as Link's arrow pierced its right eye.

The thunderous roar died down as the dragon fell from the sky and landed on the ground with a loud boom.

Link breathed heavily as he slowly approached the dragon's limp body. Blood poured from its eyes and its breathing had ceased.

Link let out a long breath.

"How sure of that plan were you, Link?" Link turned away from the dragon and saw Zelda and Epona coming towards him.

"Hmmm… about fifty percent," Link smiled.

"Only half?! You know you could've been killed!"

"I'm about fifty percent sure with all the chances I take. And about… fifty percent of them actually work," Link laughed as Zelda crossed her arms and gave him a stern look. She reminded him of a mother scolding her child for tracking dirt into the house.

The dark clouds that had loomed over the castle started to thin and disperse, revealing the bright, luminous sun.

Link lay down on the grass and breathed in the fresh air. "Man, that one was a handful. I can't imagine what the other dragons are like."

"Well… you'll find out soon enough…" Zelda's voice hardly came out as a whisper.

Link sat bolt upright at the sound of Zelda's voice. "What do you mean?!"

Zelda pointed. Link followed her gaze across Lake Hylia, to the desert. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of hundreds of dragons flying out of the Arbiter's Grounds and flying straight at them.

Link scrambled to Epona and quickly mounted her. "Zelda! Get on!"

Zelda shook her head. "I can't leave my people. I won't," she raised her bow, brought her arrow back, and fired. The light arrow hit one of the dragons and it went plummeting down into the lake. "Go, I can hold them off!"

"No! I told you I was going to fight by your side this time!"

"They want both of us. It's even worse if we're together. You must go!" Zelda fired arrow after arrow, trying to stop as many dragons as she could before they reached the castle.

Link clenched his fists, not wanting to leave, but knowing that Zelda was right. "I'll go, but I'm taking those dragons with me!" He urged Epona to run out to Hyrule Field as he unsheathed the Master Sword. The glow that emanated from the blade caught the attention of most of the approaching dragons and they pursued the young hero as he raced away from the castle.

* * *

"One… after another… after another!" Link was becoming frustrated as he continued firing arrows at the ever pursuing dragons.

Epona had been running across the Eldin Province for quite some time. Link estimated that he had shot down about thirty dragons so far. He reached into his quiver to shoot an ice dragon that was quickly closing the distance behind him, to find the quiver had about five arrows left.

"Great," Link sighed as he shot the ice dragon. "The time I need arrows, I'm basically out!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw the Bridge of Eldin. _If we can get across that, we could hide out in the Hidden Village until I'm able to restock on arrows. _"All right!" Link veered Epona to the right.

Epona quickly raced towards the bridge with the dragons right on her tail.

The bridge seemed so far away to Link, it felt like forever till they finally reached it.

"Come on, Epona! Let's cross this bridge and we'll be home free!" Link felt a little bit of hope as they raced across the bridge.

His hope was shattered when a bright, crimson red dragon landed in front of them.

Link veered Epona to make a sharp left, which brought them very close to the edge of the bridge. Link cringed as he peered at the black gorge below them.

Epona raced back to Eldin Province to be stopped again by a dull, gray dragon.

Before he could react, Epona reared up and Link found himself falling down into the endless gorge.

He reached his arms out for something, anything, and he managed to grab hold of the edge of the bridge.

Link struggled to hold on, but it was proving to be difficult to hold on to stone.

Epona panicked as the dragons inched closer to them, but she didn't want to run without her master.

Link noticed the dragon's gaze was not on Epona. "Epona, run! You have a chance! Go back to Princess Zelda!"

Epona stomped her hooves, her eyes wild with fear of the dragons and determination to save Link.

"Run!"

Hesitantly, Epona raced around the gray dragon and back to Hyrule Castle.

As soon as he knew Epona was safe, Link brought his attention back to the two dragons that now loomed over him.

The crimson, red dragon opened its mouth to reveal a forming fireball. The dull, gray one opened its mouth to reveal what looked like dust swirling around its razor sharp teeth.

"Great! We got fire and wind," Link tried to hang on, but his arms were numb and he could feel himself slowly sliding off the bridge.

He glanced at the hell dragons above him who were preparing for the kill. He glanced at the bottomless pit below him, not entirely sure where it lead to.

_Choose…_

As the dragons readied to strike, Link closed his eyes and let go of the bridge's edge.

* * *

**Another note:** I completely forgot to write this into the story. When Link and Zelda go to the sacred grove, Zelda uses Farore's Wind to get them there. You Zelda fans probably already knew that, but just in case you were confused. Sorry if I confused anybody.


	5. Chapter 4: Courage Found

**Disclaimer:** Oh, magic 8 ball... will I ever own Zelda? shakes violently Don't count on it?! falls to the ground and sobs

**Authors Note:** Thanks for the reviews, subscriptions, favorites, and everything else there is from my readers. You guys will probably hate me after you read this chapter. Cause you see, I put a little surprise twist at the end of the chapter. What's the twist... well you're just going to have to read to find out. I'll post up chapter 5 as soon as I can. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch. 4 – Courage Found**

Finally regaining consciousness, Link slowly opened his eyes. Darkness surrounded him like a thick blanket, weighing him down to the cold, rocky ground beneath him.

_How can I still be alive?! _Link wondered in amazement. Besides a few scrapes and bruises, he was fine. _That fall should've done more damage… or worse… _Link didn't want to think about what could've happened to him. The important thing was that he was alive.

_I wonder what happened… _Link remembered letting go of the bridge of Eldin and endlessly falling to his death. The fire and wind hell dragons had leapt of the bridge and had started to follow him. They crashed each other into the walls of the gorge, trying to beat the other one to their pray. Their crashes caused rocks to start raining down on Link and one hit him pretty hard in the back of the head. He lost consciousness after that and couldn't remember anything else.

Remembering being hit in the head made Link's head begin to pound. He tried to bring his hand up to hold his head, but found he couldn't move his arm. In fact, he couldn't move any part of his body.

He attempted to move his body again to find that something really _was _weighing him down. He struggled until he finally got his right arm free. He then, hesitantly, reached up to touch whatever it was that was pinning him down.

A warm, comforting feeling, like sitting by the fire on a cold winter night, creeped down his arm and spread throughout his entire body as Link touched the smooth, silky surface. Curious, he moved his hand gently along the surface. As his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, the surface appeared to be a light, grassy green color.

The more Links' vision returned the more familiar the object seemed. After a short while, the object twitched away from his touch. Link froze as he became aware of what was on top of him. It was a wing… a dragon wing.

"It's about time you woke up." Link heard a woman's voice, like the sound of a gentle breeze, drift down to him from above. The weight from the wing lifted off of Link's body, allowing him to get up and move quickly away from what he knew was a female dragon.

As he distanced himself from the dragon, Link readied his bow. Once he had gone a few feet, he turned around and pointed the arrow, ready to fire it at a dangerously admiring hell dragon. His grip on his bow loosened once he actually saw it.

The wing, that Link was under, hung limply out of a mountain of rocks. Sapphire blue eyes gazed at the young Hylian from a forest green head that poked its way out from the mountain.

He could only see the wing and the head of the dragon, for the rest of the body was hidden under the rocks.

"Well, it seems you're alright," the dragon spoke calmly, but pain could also be heard in her voice.

Link tightened his grip on his bow again and brought back the arrow, aiming for those enchanted blue eyes. "Don't give me that! I'm on to your little scheme, hell dragon! You're trying to lure me into a comfort zone so it will be easier to kill me! Well I'm not going down until every last one of you is dead!"

"Come on, Link! Do I honestly look or seem like one of those awful demons?! Be serious!" the dragon rolled her eyes. She then glanced at the arrow Link pointed at her. "Is this any way to treat the one who saved your life?"

_She knows my name?! _Link lowered his arrow as he stared curiously at the dragon. "You saved me?"

The dragon gave a small nod. "Yes I did. My sisters and I were sent to Hyrule to find the holders of the triforce. I was sent to find and protect you. For days I've been flying all over Hyrule trying to find you and I did find you, falling off a bridge. I noticed the two hell dragons pursuing you, so I dove down to help. I rammed the other dragons into the sides of the gorge, knocking them unconscious. I thought I was helping, but then I saw rocks falling and threatening to fall on top of you, so I grabbed you and shielded you with my body. The rocks fell on top of me instead, pinning me to the ground. I placed you under my wing for safety before I was completely buried. You were out for a few hours. I tried to break free, but as you can see, I'm still stuck," she struggled to free her body once more, but the rocks continued to pin her down.

Amazed, Link just stared at the dragon before him. "Wait a minute! If you were sent to find the holders of the triforce… and you came with your _sisters_… are you who I think you are?!"

"You told Zelda you couldn't converse with heavenly beings, but what you don't realize is that you are talking to one right now," the triforce appeared on the dragon's forehead, the bottom right corner glowing brightly. "My name is Farore, the goddess of courage."

Link felt a tingle on his left hand. He quickly removed his glove to find the triforce of courage glowing on his hand as well.

He dropped his bow and arrow and fell to his knees before the goddess. "Oh, great Farore, my apologies for falsely accusing you. I will accept any punishment that you bestow upon me."

Farore looked humorously at Link. "First of all, don't bow. Secondly," she played around a little, "instead of punishment, I want you to do something for me."

"Name it and I will try my best," Link answered as he stood back up on his feet.

"Can you find a way to remove these rocks? They're kinda crushing me," Farore said uncomfortably.

Link gazed up at the big pile of rocks. "Um… I'll… uh… see what I can do."

He walked all the way around Farore, inspecting the large amount of rocks that lay on top of her and trying to figure out how to remove them.

_I can't life them all off… I'm not that strong. Ball and chain… no, I might hit her by accident. Bombs… no, that could be even worse than the ball and chain. _Link was running out of ideas. He sighed. _I guess there's no other way. _

Link picked his bow and arrow up from the ground. He reached into one of his bomb bags, carefully pulled out a bomb, and then, even more carefully, began to tie it around the arrow.

Once the bomb was secure, Link increased the distance between him and Farore.

"On second thought, I _could _just wait until Din or Nayru come down to help," unease overpowered Farore's voice.

"Trust me. I'm practically a professional, I've done this so many times," Link reassured her as calmly as he could as he lit the bomb's fuse. He brought the arrow back and aimed towards the middle of the rock pile. _Please work. _Link hoped as he let the bomb arrow fly.

* * *

The echoes of the explosion could be heard all throughout the gorge. The sound of falling rocks followed.

Link covered his eyes with his arm, shielding them from the flying dust and fragments of rocks.

Once the dust around him began to settle, Link slowly lowered his arm from his eyes. He looked to where Farore had been, wanting to make sure that she was alright.

Farore was now standing on all fours. Her glossy, forest green hide came close to the color of Link's tunic. As she stood up straight, Link noticed that her body was slimmer and smaller than the hell dragons' bodies. She arched her back and stretched out her grassy green wings. Her wingspan took up about half of the gorge's width. She let out a long breath.

"Oh, that feels much better. Thank you," Farore smiled down at Link.

Link let out a sigh of relief as he put his bow away and smiled up at the goddess. "No problem. I'm just thankful I didn't hit you."

"I thought you said you were a _professional_," the smile on Farore's face disappeared. Her sapphire eyes narrowed and lingered on Link.

"Well," Link started nervously. The last thing we wanted to do was to piss off a dragon, goddess or not. "I said _practically_… sometimes my aim can be a little off…"

"So, you just got lucky?!" Farore hovered over Link's small form.

"Now, now. I thought you were sent to help me, not kill me," Link continuously backed away from the slowly approaching goddess until his back met the wall of the gorge.

Before Farore could respond to Link, the ground began to shake violently.

Link grabbed on to the wall behind him, trying to maintain balance. The shaking was so intense; it felt like his body would fall apart at any moment.

Hearing rocks coming loose from the gorge walls, Link struggled to look up. Large boulders began to rain down upon him. He couldn't move because the earth was shaking so violently, so he closed his eyes and braced for impact.

Link felt himself being lifted off the ground. He opened his eyes to see Farore picking him up with one of her front claws. She quickly brought her arm over her shoulder and set Link down on her back.

"Hang on!"

Link barely had time to grab on to anything before Farore lifted herself into the air. He quickly wrapped his arms around her neck and tried desperately to hold on.

The world continued to shake. Even though they were off the ground, Link still felt the threat of his limbs shaking off.

Farore skillfully and swiftly maneuvered around the falling rocks, following the gorge. She dared not fly up, for fear of further endangering her passenger and herself.

After what felt like hours, but was only ten minutes, the shaking abruptly stopped. Silence fell upon the gorge. Link dared not even breathe, for fear of breaking the silence. Farore's wing beats were the only sound that could be heard.

After the remaining rocks had fallen to the ground below them, Farore stopped in mid flight. Her wings slightly curved down and she began to beat them a little faster, allowing her to hover in the air.

"Are you alright, Link?" Farore asked as she breathed heavily.

Link managed to detach himself from Farore's neck. "A little shaken, but I'm okay. Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me," Farore said as she looked up. Dark clouds now covered what little sun that had shone down into the gorge.

"What was that?" Link asked, still recovering.

"I don't know, but it didn't sound good. Hang on tight! We're going up!" Farore spread her wings out again and pushed herself up towards the sky.

* * *

Once the top of the gorge was visible, Link felt happy to finally be out. His happiness quickly faded as he stared in shock at the land.

What had once been Eldin Province, was not, literally, a burning hell. Parts of the land had sunken down, creating craters that were filled with boiling lava. Fire twisters lined the edges of the field, making it impossible to escape anywhere. What parts of the field that hadn't collapsed were blazing with an intense inferno.

"I guess we won't be landing anytime soon, huh?" Link stated.

"This is no time for jokes, Link!" Farore snapped.

"I'm not trying to be funny!"

Rain began to fall from the dark clouds that had overtaken the once peaceful sky.

"Ow! This rain burns!" Link flinched whenever the rain touched his skin. He noticed small holes were forming in his tunic from where the rain hit. "Is this acid rain?!"

"Yes, but never mind the rain! We have a bigger problem on our hands!"

Link noticed Farore looking straight ahead. He followed her gaze to find a big blazing ball of fire and energy heading right for them.

Farore quickly moved to the left, but not before the ball skimmed and burned her back foot.

"Are you okay?!" Link asked with concern as he felt Farore's body tense up.

"I told you not to worry about me!" Farore scanned the large burning field with her eyes. She saw another energy fireball form and come speeding towards them from the center of the field.

"There you are!" Farore folded her wings in close to her body and dove beneath the ball. Once the energy fireball passed, Farore spread her wings apart and beat them until she regained altitude. She then sped towards the middle of Eldin Province.

"There is who? What's going on, Farore?!"

"This is the devil's doing!" Farore shouted as her speed continued to increase. "He's trying to finish us off here and now!"

Link remained silent and still. "He's actually here? In the flesh?!"

"Yes!" Farore lunged down again to avoid another energy fireball.

She regained altitude again to find that she was in the center of the field. No one was there.

"Link, keep your eyes open for anything…"

"Farore! Above you!"

Farore knew that if she looked up, she wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time. She quickly advanced forward just as another dragon dive-bombed right past her.

Link looked over Farore's side to follow this new dragon. As it spread its wings out to recover from the dive and made its way back up to their level, Link noticed that this dragon wasn't that much bigger than Farore was.

Farore hovered in place like before, waiting for the other dragon to ascend. The other dragon mimicked Farore's moves and hovered as well.

The hide of this new dragon reflected the colors of a sunset, but its wings, tinted with black, shone a crimson red. Its emerald green eyes, overflowing with power, stared endlessly at Farore and Link.

A laugh emerged from the dragon's back. A deep, evil laugh that sounded very familiar.

_I know that laugh… _"Who's on that dragon's back, Farore?" Link asked hesitantly.

"That's him. That's the devil," Farore said with a low growl.

"Now, the history of light and shadow will be written in blood! _Your _blood!"

"Ganondorf?!"


	6. Chapter 5: Faced with the Devil

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda games were all my idea! ... Not buying it, eh? Alright, would you believe the triforce was my idea? ... No? Okay, okay, I'll take credit for Midna... Alright, stopping glaring at me! I don't own anything from Zelda! There I said it!

**Author Note:** Another brain fart! It took me a while to write this chapter because I had the ending of it planned out, but I didn't know how to begin it. I had to be careful when writing this chapter. It's a little bit darker than the others, but the end of the story will be dark as well. Oh well, until I post up the next chapter, enjoy!

* * *

**Ch. 5 – Faced with the Devil**

So many thoughts raced through his mind as Link continued to stare at Ganondorf. _There were so many signs… how could I have not seen them?!_

"Link!" Link snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Farore's voice. "Link, don't think too much!"

"I'm not going to hurt myself!" Link crossed his arms.

"I don't mean that, you big baby! If you think too much, Ganondorf will be able to read your thoughts!"

Ganondorf's deep laugh echoed across the field. "Well, Farore, it seems Din has told you all about me." He reached down and patted his dragon's neck.

"Get your hands off of my sister!" Link was almost thrown off as Farore roared and lunged towards the devil.

_Din?! _An uneasy feeling crept into Link's mind. _Oh no… this could be bad… _

"Oh, it will be for you, chosen hero," Ganondorf snickered, "but all the more fun for me!"

Just as Farore was about to strike, Ganondorf kicked Din's side. Din shot up higher into the sky, sending Farore speeding past them.

"Din, fire!" Link turned around and looked up. He saw a fireball begin to form in Din's mouth. Above her, Ganondorf raised his right arm up to the sky. Energy began to gather and take form in his open palm. Once they were of equal size, Ganondorf pushed the energy into Din's fireball.

"Farore, watch out! They're creating more of those energy fireballs!" Link shouted, urging Farore to fly faster.

Farore gave a low growl as she quickly glanced over her shoulder. "Hang on!"

* * *

"Hang in there, Farore!" Link felt Farore's heart beating faster. Her breathing was heavier as she struggled to dodge the never ending stream of energy fireballs.

"I… I can't shake them!" Farore panted. "Got any ideas… before I run out of energy, Link?!"

"We'll have to fight!" Link unsheathed the Master Sword.

"Are you crazy?! A Hylian such as you won't even be able to touch him!"

"I killed him before, I can do it again!"

Farore glanced back and made eye contact with Link. His feral, blue eyes showed a determination that told her that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She nodded, "All right, Link. What do you want me to do?"

"Just get as close as you can, and I'll take it from there," Link's grip tightened around the hilt. Power coursed from the blade into his body.

As another energy fireball closed in, Farore quickly pumped her wings down, swiftly completing a mid-air back flip.

Link felt the ball skim the tip of his hat as they went zooming, upside down, towards Ganondorf.

"Remember, don't think… just do it!" Link heard Farore's reminder as he prepared to strike.

"What the…?!" Before Ganondorf could react, the Master Sword went through his stomach.

Farore looped around and repositioned her wings so she could hover in front of Din.

Link waited for the blood to stop rushing to his head before he looked at Ganondorf again.

Ganondorf's head drooped over his large chest. The Master Sword stabbed in the same place it had been two and a half weeks earlier. The devil didn't move.

"Evil shall never touch that blade," Link sighed and patted Farore's neck. "It's over."

"No… it's not…" Farore whispered. "Look…"

A low chuckle emanated from Ganondorf as his large hand wrapped around the blade of the Master Sword. "Did you honestly think you could drive me through with this pathetic sword again?!" He then ripped the blade out of his stomach, the wound sealing itself up in a matter of seconds.

"You fool, can't you see evil has already touched this 'sacred' blade?!" With his words lingering in Link's mind, Ganondorf's grip tightened until the Master Sword broke in half.

Link and Farore watched in horror as Ganondorf threw the pieces of the Master Sword to the fiery ground below.

_No way…_ Link was too stunned to talk. _That couldn't have just happened… no… _

"Fool! Pay attention!" Amusement was heard in Ganondorf's voice as Din sped forward and rammed her body into Farore's chest.

Farore lost altitude as the air escaped from her lungs and she went plummeting toward the ground.

"Farore!" Link held on tightly as their speed continued to increase. "Farore, watch out for the fire!"

Farore had no strength to help her fly, but she had enough strength to life up one of her wings and quickly bring it down.

The wind created from her wing sent a powerful gust that swept across part of Eldin Province, dispersing the fire that ate away at the grass.

Just as the fire blew out, Farore's body crashed to the ground. This harsh impact sent Link flying off her back and slamming into the ground nearby.

Link struggled to get up from the still hot ground beneath him. He turned to his left and saw Farore. Her eyes were closed and she didn't seem to be breathing.

"Farore…"

"How pathetic," Link turned from Farore and looked straight ahead. Din had landed silently nearby and Ganondorf now loomed over Link's small form. "Even with the help of a goddess you couldn't best me."

Link breathed heavily as he lay at Ganondorf's feet. "But… I ran you through… I watched you die…"

Ganondorf sneered. "You only completed something I've wanted to do for years."

"What do you mean? Completed what?!"

"I was brought to justice and banished into the Twilight Realm. There, I housed my power in a naïve, Twili fool. When he died, my power returned to me, but it was different. Shadow had found its way into my power and clung to my very soul.

"The Master Sword is a blade of light. By piercing my soul with that blade, light and shadow finally intertwined and created darkness. This darkness housed itself in me and reawakened me as Satan."

Link looked away from Ganondorf in defeat. He had created the very thing he had been fighting so hard to prevent.

Ganondorf chuckled. "So, Link, I guess I should thank you."

Hatred filled Link's heart. He found the strength to stand up. "Don't waste your breath!" He glared at Ganondorf. "I stabbed you believing I would end darkness! If I had any idea that this would happen, I would've never done it! What's so great about it anyway?! Nothing can survive in darkness!"

Before he could dodge, Ganondorf wrapped his large hand around Link's throat. Link struggled as Ganondorf raised him into the air.

"_I _survive in darkness, _I _rule over darkness, _I _control darkness, _I _am darkness!" Ganondorf threw Link's body a few feet away from himself.

Link recovered from the throw. He held his throat, gasping for the air that Ganondorf had taken from him.

"I live off of the torment and terror of those who have lost the light and are trapped in darkness for eternity. And, believe it or not, you are headed down that same path to darkness."

Link shook his head. "You're messing with my mind! I'll never stray from the light! You're lying to me!"

"You're lying to yourself, boy," Ganondorf growled. "Your light is fading with the light of this god forsaken land. Even as we speak, Eldin is taking his last breath of life."

Hearing that made Link think about Ordona's death. _No! _

"See, you depend too much on those Light Spirits. Once I've destroyed the last two, you shall fall and perish in eternal darkness!" Ganondorf reached his hand up to the sky. Energy formed together in his open palm. He sneered. "But why should I wait until then? You shall see the darkness in a matter of seconds! I look forward to devouring your weak soul!" Ganondorf pointed the energy ball at Link and let it fly.

* * *

Time seemed to stop as Link watched his death approaching. His life flashed before his eyes. _I won't fade… _He had helped so many, he had made so many new friends. _I won't fade… _He had saved Hyrule, he had saved the Twilight Realm. _I won't fade… _He had saved Zelda… he had saved Midna. _I won't fade into eternal darkness… _Link tried to reassure himself, but couldn't contain the hint of doubt that now gripped at his heart.

The ball of energy never reached Link. At the last possible moment, it deflected off of a silver wall right in front of him.

Link was both confused and relieved. Only when he heard a distant roar did he look up to the sky.

A cerulean blue dragon flew down from the heavens. As it neared, the blue hide glistened like the surface of a calm, crystal lake. Its dark silver eyes sparkled like gems. It was also of equal size to Din and Farore.

_That has to be Nayru. _Link thought, amazed that all three of the goddesses were together in front of his own eyes.

"Link! Are you okay?" A familiar voice called down from Nayru's back.

"I'm fine, Zelda. I'm glad to hear you're alright. I can't say as much for Farore though," Link looked at Farore's still body.

Nayru landed next to Farore. "What's happened to my sister?!"

Link turned to point at Din, but she was already flying higher into the air. "Din ran into her and knocked her down!"

"Din?!" Nayru and Zelda followed Link's finger up to where Din now hovered.

"Ganondorf?!" Zelda was shocked when she saw his figure riding on Din's back.

"A pleasure to see you again, Princess," Ganondorf pretended to bow. "Too bad this is the last time I'll be seeing you alive!" Ganondorf and Din combined their energy and fire and hurled it at Nayru, Farore, Link and Zelda.

Zelda raised her hands. A silver dome surrounded the four as the energy fireball came closer.

The ball disappeared, along with Zelda's barrier.

"Let's go, Nayru!" Zelda got her light arrows out as Nayru too off towards Din and Ganondorf.

"Zelda, wait! Link wasn't fast enough to stop them.

* * *

As they neared closer, Zelda aimed and fired a light arrow at Ganondorf. The light stunned the devil, preventing him from moving any part of his body.

Nayru flew alongside Din. Zelda took the opportunity and jumped onto Din's back.

Once Zelda had dismounted, Nayru flew in front and faced Din. "Din! Din, it's your sister, Nayru!" A glossy coating covered Din's eyes, making her seem to stare endlessly into space.

Zelda unsheathed her thin sword and raised it for the strike. "Let Din go! Then, go burn in hell, Ganondorf!"

Before she could react, Ganondorf caught her arm in mid-swing, forcefully grabbed the sword out of her hand, and thrust it through her stomach.

"Too late, I'm already there," Ganondorf snickered in Zelda's ear as he removed the blade from her body.

Zelda held her stomach and gazed at her blood dripping off of her sword. She moved her gaze to Ganondorf. "Curse… you…" Zelda's eyes rolled back and closed as she toppled over Din's side.

"Zelda!" Nayru readied to dive down and catch the falling princess.

"Attack her now, Din!" Din brought her claws up and made deep gashed in Nayru's chest.

Nayru roared in pain as blood poured from her chest. She began to rapidly sink down to the ground.

* * *

Link noticed that Nayru was incapable of catching the continuously falling Zelda. He raced forward. It seemed like Zelda would hit the ground before he could reach her.

Just before she hit the ground, Link slid and caught Zelda in his arms. Shortly after, Nayru landed harshly on the ground nearby.

"Now, Din, finish them!" Din roared and began to form a large fireball in her mouth.

Nayru struggled to lift her head up. She looked directly into Din's glossy eyes. "Din, please stop! You're our sister!"

The fireball suddenly dispersed from Din's mouth. The gloss vanished from her eyes. She looked down at Farore's limp body. Then, she saw the deep gashes on Nayru's chest. "Nayru… Farore…" Tears began to form in her powerful green eyes. "What have I done?!"

"You worthless creature!" Ganondorf put his hand on the back of Din's head. The gloss began to overlap her eyes again. Din let out an agonizing roar of pain.

"Din! Stop hurting her!" Nayru wanted to fly up and help her sister, but the loss of blood kept her on the ground.

"Do as I say!" Ganondorf demanded.

Din struggled against Ganondorf's commands. "No… I won't…"

Ganondorf growled at Din. Then he looked down at the four. "I will be back! Darkness shall overpower and you will lead this land there, 'chosen hero'!" He kicked Din's side.

Hesitantly, Din dove into one of the boiling lava pits. As she disappeared, the ground began to shake violently.

Link was forced down to his knees as the feeling of his limbs shaking off came back. He fought against it and tried to keep hold of Zelda.

Link felt something gently lift him off the shaking ground. He turned around and saw Nayru bringing him and Zelda closer to her.

She had gotten closer to Farore and draped one of her silky wings over her sister. She then took her other wing and sheltered the two young Hylians and her face with it.

The shaking went on endlessly like before, then it abruptly stopped.

Nayru removed her head from the shelter she had made and looked around before lifting her wings.

To Link's amazement, Eldin Province was exactly the way it was before. There were no lava pits, no fire twisters, no fire, nothing. The only difference about the land was the sky. It was much darker than before.

"We must… get somewhere… safe," Nayru struggled to stand.

"We'll go to Kakariko. It's not that far. Can you make it with Farore?" Link began to really worry about the injured goddess.

Nayru nodded. "I can make that. I'll meet you there. Just get Zelda there right away."

Link nodded. He looked down at the dying princess in his arms. Blood poured out of a hole in her stomach.

Link tightened his grip, then ran as fast as he could towards Kakariko.


	7. Chapter 6: Lost Light

**Disclaimer:** I was hoping that when I turned 17 I would own Zelda, but I don't. That is very depressing. Maybe when I turn 18, it will become a reality... Alright, don't dash my dreams! I will never own Zelda!

**IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE (PLEASE READ!): **Hello, everyone! I'm sorry that this chapter has taken such a long time to post up. I had a major brain fart, but I thank the pastor at my church, for he gave me an idea during a Sunday service. I wish to inform my readers that my next chapter might take longer to post up because, sadly, I started school. Junior year, "oh what fun". And this year is proving to be quite challenging. So whenever I get the chance to write, I will. I just want to inform all of you that I'm not going to stop writing, it's just going to be longer to post up chapters, and to please not stop reading. I have made this chapter fairly long to make up for it and, this will make you all happy, no cliff hanger at the end of this chapter. YAY! Anyway, thank you for baring with me and this explanation and please enjoy chapter 6 of my book: Shattered Twilight.

* * *

Ch. 6 – Lost Light

The headache that felt like a thousand arrow heads were attacking the brain returned once Din regained free will of her mind.

"Curse you, Ganondorf," Din cursed under her breath as she continuously added pressure to her head to try and stop the pain. She knew that not just her, but every spirit in the underworld felt the same pain after Ganondorf's control ebbed away from their minds.

Din tried to forget about the pain by focusing on the flow of the think river of lava that streamed in front of her. She always stayed near the rivers of lava because they were the only things she could really tolerate in the underworld.

Heavy footsteps could be heard slowly approaching the goddess of power. Din did not have to turn around. She already knew who it was.

"You will not take over my mind again, Ganondorf," Din said in a low, threatening tone.

"I told you if you cooperated with me, things would be simple for you," Ganondorf stopped in front of Din and crossed his arms. "But you must now feel pain because of your stubbornness."

"I'm only forced to be with you. I don't _have _to cooperate with you," Din made eye contact with Ganondorf. His dark red eyes flamed with the intense inferno of hell. She could see souls, trapped in his eyes, crying out for a savior that would never come until Ganondorf lay dead.

But Din did not look away. She didn't try to save herself from that stare of death. She just narrowed her powerful emerald green eyes and glared at Ganondorf. "If I were not bound to you, I would've killed you a long time ago," Din hissed. "You would be nothing without me."

Ganondorf felt like a fool when a tiny speck of fear creeped into his mind. Din's eyes raged with a powerful flame far greater than his own, but her flame wasn't a hellish inferno. No, it was the small flame of a candle that could shine through even the deepest darkness. _How could such a small flame possess such power?! _

Ganondorf shook off the pathetic feeling of fear and snickered. "I beg to differ. I would be powerful with or without you. You're more of a hostage."

"Hostage? I am not your prisoner, Ganondorf!"

"Think about it. The chosen hero, the Princess, your sisters, they have to find a way to kill me without harming you," Ganondorf's evil grin grew. "For I will be on your back anytime we go to the world of light."

"You…" Din began to rage.

"Now, now," Ganondorf shook his head. "No need to get rough," he turned his back to the goddess, his arms still crossed. "Well, I'm feeling rather… "generous" today. I'll let your mind wonder free… for now." He turned his head to the left so he could see Din out of the corner of his eye. "But when my moment of triumph is near, you _will _do as I say and you _will _watch the wretched light die."

Ganondorf snapped his fingers when Din did not respond. Two hell dragons flew towards Ganondorf as if they came out of thin air. When they landed, Din took a quick glance over at them.

One dragon was a light, grassy green color. Its hide reminded Din of Farore's silky wings. Its belly was a dark, dirt brown. Its wings shone a beautiful sky blue with tints of white.

The other dragon was less attractive. Its hide was a dull, pukey greenish brown color. Splotches of goop were strategically placed around its body. A dark yellow acid like substance dripped out of the dragon's mouth and landed on the ground, creating small craters wherever the acid touched.

_Earth and poison. _Din thought as she turned her head away from the grotesque image of the poison hell dragon.

The earth and poison hell dragons bowed before Ganondorf.

Ganondorf stepped up to them and placed one hand in the middle of each of their heads. "Go to the land of light and go after the Light Spirit they call Lanayru!"

Hearing their orders, they roared and took off into the air. As they flew higher, three more hell dragons joined them.

Din looked up helplessly as she watched the dragons nearing the wall that separated hell from Hyrule. Once the dragons reached to top, a shadow light shone down into the underworld.

_The light from the shards of the Mirror of Twilight…_

The five hell dragons disappeared into the shadow light. The light suddenly vanished. The hell dragons were now in Hyrule.

_Oh, Nayru, Farore, please be alive,_ Din continued to gaze up at where the hell dragons had disappeared. _I wish I could come up and help you, but I am bound to this wretched demon, _Din glared at Ganondorf as he walked away from her. _With him using my power, I might even kill you. Please, stay away from me. I don't want to hurt you again. _A single tear rolled down Din's cheek. _Forgive me… _The tear fell from her cheek and landed in the stream of lava below her.

* * *

Luda stood nearby, dabbing Zelda's head with a moist cloth as her father worked endlessly to try and save the Princess. She saw dried blood on his hands and his eyes were heavy from no sleep, but he paid no heed to his own needs.

Renado sighed as he used his arm to rub his eyes, hoping that the need for sleep would leave. He removed his arm and gazed at the Princess.

Blood still continued to ebb its way out of her wound no matter how much pressure was added to it. Her breathing seemed to slow down more and more each passing hour.

_If I can't stop the bleeding, there will be no more hope of saving her. _

Renado's thoughts were interrupted when he felt something warm gently touch his forehead. He turned his gaze upon his daughter who dabbed at his head with the hot springwater cloth. He smiled. "Thank you, Luda, but you must save the water for Princess Zelda."

"I know, father, but the water is nearly gone," Renado looked down at Luda's feet. The bucket that had once been full of hot springwater was now a mere puddle. "The heat is also cooling, so the powers of the springwater aren't as affective anymore."

Renado gave another sight, then he gazed at his daughter. "Luda, could you please go get some more hot springwater? For I fear if I leave Princess Zelda, something might happen to her."

"No need. I have brought more hot springwater for you," Gor Coron pushed aside the cloth that covered the entrance to the room Zelda was in. He carried a large bucket, full to the brim, with steaming hot water.

"Thank you, Gor Coron," Renado gave a small bow as Gor Coron placed the new water down and grabbed the empty bucket.

"Do not thank me, brother. I am glad to help," Gor Coron smiled.

"But I must. Your hospitality has been greatly appreciated. I don't know how we can repay you."

Gor Coron chuckled as he crossed his arms. "You humans are always saying thank you. Just one thanks is enough. If you need anything, just let me or the other brothers know and we shall help in any 

way we can." With that, Gor Coron let the cloth drape back over the entrance and Renado, Luda, and Zelda were alone again.

Renado couldn't help, but to smile. He knew he was a little too gracious, but how could he not be?

Ever since the demon dragons attacked Kakariko and killed Eldin, the land grew dark and dreary. Nowhere felt safe anymore. After the dragons had left the village in ruins, the Gorons had allowed Renado, Luda, and even Barnes to come up Death Mountain and stay with them. Gor Coron had even let Zelda rest in the room that lay at the edge of the sumo wrestling room. The bed was quite large for a human, but it worked just fine. Renado knew they were safe, but he did not know for how long.

"Is she going to be alright, father?" Luda broke the silence as she soaked a cloth with the fresh hot springwater and placed it over Princess Zelda's forehead.

"It is hard to say," Renado closed his eyes. "If she wasn't losing so much blood, it would be easier to save her. But do not fret," he opened his eyes again. They now blazed with determination. "I shall not give up on her."

"Um… excuse me… Renado?"

"I told you not to disturb me, Barnes! Especially when I'm trying to save a life," Renado snapped as he saw Barnes poke his head into their room.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry to bother you," Barnes stepped around the curtain and stood next to Renado, "but the great goddess Nayru wishes to see Zelda."

Not wanting to argue against a goddesses' request, Renado calmed. "All right, Barnes. Bring one of the Gorons over here."

Barnes nodded and quickly darted out of the room. Shortly after he left, he came back with a fairly large Goron following closely behind.

"Yes, brother?" The Goron asked Renado.

"Could you please bring Princess Zelda gently down to the goddess Nayru?"

"Not a problem." Luda quickly stepped out of the room so the large Goron would have enough space.

The Goron gently scooped up the Princess in his arms.

Zelda gave a small whine of pain as the Goron began the descent down.

* * *

Nayru watched anxiously as the Goron carried Zelda closer and closer to her. She was also amazed at how such a strong creature could be s gentle with someone or something so fragile.

The Goron finally stood before Nayru. Renado, Luda, Barnes, and the other Gorons stood nearby and watched to see what would happen.

"Place her in front of me," Nayru gestured for the Goron to place Zelda on the ground in front of her.

The Goron nodded and gently laid Zelda in front of Nayru.

Without hesitation, Nayru lowered her head so it hovered above Zelda's still form. She opened her mouth.

The humans and the Gorons watching could not believe it. It seemed like Nayru was drooling on Zelda. But the saliva coming out of her mouth was different. It was a dark silver color, like Nayru's eyes, and it seemed to glow.

Nayru's saliva slowly dripped into Zelda's open would. As soon as the liquid touched the wound, it slowly began to close up. In a matter of seconds, the wound had completely scarred over. No more blood flowed out and Zelda's breathing began to go back to normal.

Everyone let out the breath that they didn't know they were holding. They had just witnessed a miracle.

Nayru closed her mouth and lifted her head. "Take her back up to get some more rest. And make sure to mend her dress," the same Goron that had carried her down, gently scooped Zelda back up and began the climb back to her room.

"Thank you, Nayru," Renado approached the goddess and bowed.

"I heard you were having trouble, so I decided to help," Nayru smiled. "I know it seemed gross, but my saliva holds a healing power that no fairy in Hyrule could compare to."

Renado could only bow again. He felt strange trying to carry a conversation with a goddess. "How… is Farore?"

"She is resting in the cave near the hot spring. The heat emanating from this mountain has done wonders for both my sister and I. Thank you." Nayru glanced around the area. "Where is the chosen hero? I haven't seen him for quite some time."

"I saw him heading down to the village a few hours ago. At least, what's left of the village," Barnes chimed in. He quickly dashed away once he saw the cold stare that Renado shot at him.

"Barnes is right. Link has been gone for a while," Renado stared at the path that led down the mountain. "I'm worried about him. He was very quiet and seemed upset. I know he can defend himself, but it could be dangerous without the light of Eldin, even for him."

Nayru glanced at the path as well. She spread her wings out. "I'll go down and find him."

"But, you are not fully recovered. What if…"

"Don't worry about me," Nayru gave a reassuring smile as she leapt into the air and flew down to the village ruins.

* * *

Without the light of Eldin, Kakariko Village wasn't safe. All the buildings had collapsed after the attack form the hell dragons, leaving the village in ruins.

Link sat silently at the edge of the decrepit village, staring silently at what was left of the Spirit Spring.

Without Eldin, the water had evaporated from the spring. No light shone down anywhere.

_I failed you, Eldin, _Link thought as he lowered his head in defeat. By looking down, he saw the two pieces of the Master Sword lying in front of him. After searching and searching Eldin Province, he had finally found the two halves.

_"You're lying to yourself, boy! Your light is fading with the light of this god forsaken land."_

Link closed his eyes. Ever since their encounter, Ganondorf's words clung to Link's mind. He had tried to shake them off, but they wouldn't let go.

_"You shall fall and perish in eternal darkness! I look forward to devouring your weak soul!"_

"Are you alright, chosen hero?" Startled, Link turned around to see Nayru slowly walking towards him.

"Please, just call me Link," Link said quietly as he turned back toward the dried up spring.

"Link, I'm sorry I startled you," Nayru sat down next to Link.

"It's fine."

Nayru gazed at Link. She knew his mind was somewhere else because he wouldn't make eye contact with her. "Is something troubling you, Link?"

Link didn't want to share his thoughts, but Nayru's voice was so gentle, like the light tapping of raindrops of a windowsill, that he couldn't keep them away from the goddess of wisdom. "I don't know. So many things are running through my mind right now. I can't sort them out."

Silence fell between the two. Nayru waited patiently to see if Link would say anything else.

Hesitantly, Link broke the silence. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. The cuts weren't deep so I was able to heal them easily. Zelda and Farore are still resting, but don't worry. They're going to be just fine."

Link couldn't hold the long sigh of relief that escaped from him. The dry blood on his tunic from Zelda's wound had been constantly reminding him that Zelda could possibly die. The still form of Farore had haunted his mind as well. He was just happy to hear they would live.

"Can I ask you something, Nayru?"

"You may."

"Why is it that Farore couldn't handle a long fall, yet you could?" This had troubled Link ever since Farore lost consciousness.

"Farore is the youngest. She hasn't been able to take pain very well because she is still discovering her true power. But she does get herself into a lot of situations that cause her pain. I don't know, I guess it's the courage inside of her that keeps her going," Nayru smiled. Farore had always wanted to be strong liker her and Din.

"How can you be smiling at a time like this?!" Nayru was surprised by Link's sudden outburst. "You, Farore, and Zelda could've been killed! Ganondorf has already killed two of the four Light Spirits and that is sending Hyrule plummeting into darkness! And the one weapon that can actually pierce Satan is now in two pieces with no possible way of putting it back together!" Link closed his eyes and pounded the dead ground with his fist. After a few moments, he let out a long breath and said quietly, "It is hopeless, isn't it? We should just give up… There's no way to save Hyrule this time…"

Nayru stared endlessly at Link. "What are you talking about? What is making you think like this?!"

Link did not answer or look at Nayru. His eyes remained closed and his head turned away from the goddess.

_This isn't the man the Lord spoke of, _Nayru thought. _He told me of a courageous young man, a hero who fought for the lights of this land… Wait! _

"Link," Nayru spoke softly, "look at me."

Link did not make a move.

"Link, I cannot make you look at me. You must do it of your own free will," Nayru continued in her soft tone. "Look into my eyes."

After a few moments, Link's head finally turned and faced the goddess. But his eyes still remained closed.

"Open your eyes, Link."

Slowly, Link's eyes opened.

Nayru drew in a quick breath. A glossy coating was beginning to engulf Link's feral blue eyes, making him appear to be staring endlessly into space.

_Oh no! Ganondorf is taking over him! _Nayru quickly brushed the feeling of terror aside and focused all of her mind on Link.

Nayru had the power to look through someone's eyes and see right into their heart, but she had to prepare herself for what she was about to see.

She took a few deep breaths, then she looked through Link's lifeless eyes and into his heart.

* * *

_"You shall fall and perish in eternal darkness! I look forward to devouring your weak soul!" Eldin Province was on fire once again. Ganondorf hovered over Link's small form, laughing. Link cowered like a small child at Ganondorf's feet. Black chains made from darkness held Link to the fiery ground. _

Nayru's heart began to ache as she watched the events that took place in Link's heart. But through the pain, she continued to watch.

_Ganondorf pulled out a whip made of fire. "Now that you're mine, you shall suffer for eternity. Say goodbye to your 'precious light'!" Ganondorf spat out the word 'light', like it was poison on his lips, as he raised the whip above his head and quickly brought it down. _

Nayru looked away from Link's eyes. She hated to see him suffer like this, but she couldn't help him. She glanced at him again. His physical body was unharmed, but his soul was dying. "Hang in there, Link," she whispered as she looked back into his eyes.

_Every stroke felt like hundreds of blades piercing through the body. Every time the whip came down, Link's agonizing cry would pierce the air. Yet he did nothing. He did not struggle, try to break free, fight back… nothing. It seemed he had just given up._

_But then, coming out of the flames, was a small white fairy. It floated nearby, tinkling, trying to get Link's attention. _

Knowing what the fairy was, Nayru quickly thought about what to do. She couldn't physically let Link know about the fairy, but she could tell him. She tried to call his name.

_"Link!" _

_Link took in slow, raspy breaths. Blood poured from every inch of his body. He was on the boundary of life and death._

_"Link!"_

_He slowly opened his eyes. They grew wider once he saw the fairy floating in front of him._

_"That is your light, Link! Grab it before it's too late!" _

_Link struggled against the pain from the whip and the weight of the chains to try and reach out for the fairy._

_He stretched his arm as far out as he could, but the fairy was just out of reach._

_"Come… to… me… please…" Link begged the fairy to come closer. _

_The fairy simply continued to hover where it was._

_"Please…" Link tried once more. _

_"I will not come to you. You must come to me," the fairy spoke lightly._

_Link reached out for the fairy again, but he still couldn't reach it. "Please… I'm not… strong… enough…"_

_"Are you? Do you believe in yourself… or don't you? You want the light to come save you, but in reality, the light is the one who needs saving."_

_The fairy's words echoed through Link's mind, making him remember when the light was in trouble before. He remembered how he had saved the light from being engulfed in shadow. _

_"You kept thinking I was your savior when I'm really not. I'm power, to give you strength to defend the weak. I'm wisdom, to give you the knowledge of right and wrong. I'm courage, to help you through your toughest challenges." _

_"Of course," Link remembered. "The triforce is light." _

_"But my light has begun to diminish because of the dark entity that towers above you." _

_Having forgotten about Ganondorf, Link looked up to see him glaring at the small fairy._

_"It appears I missed destroying some light. I will not miss again!" Ganondorf raised his hand to the sky. Energy began to take form in his open palm. He then hurled the energy at the fairy._

_"No!" Link forgot about his pain and began to struggle against the darkness chains. _

_"What will you do, hero? Will you save me? Or yourself?" The fairy's words echoed through Link's mind as he saw the energy getting closer to his light. _

_"Don't give up!" _

_The chains began to break apart. Link continuously struggled until every dark chain lay in pieces on the ground. He quickly made his way to the fairy. _

_He took it in his hands and hovered over its small form, waiting for the impact of the attack. _

_The energy never hit them. It dissolved in mid flight. _

_Ganondorf's cry echoed across the vast plain as light began to engulf his body. _

_Link glanced over his shoulder and saw Ganondorf dissolve into a pile of ash. _

_Link felt a gust of wind come through. The wind blew out the flames and carried Ganondorf's ashes away. The clouds began to part, allowing the sun to shine down on the dark land. _

_Only when he was sure that the danger had passed did Link let the fairy go._

_"Are you alright?" Link asked. He wanted to make sure he hadn't hurt the fairy by accident._

_"You protected me when you had no protection for yourself. Why?" The fairy's voice was calm. It did not seem shaken up from almost being destroyed._

_"Not just me, but everyone needs the light. Nothing can survive in darkness. But if sacrificing my life so that light could shine on the rest of the world, I would gladly take the blow." Link smiled. He had said that straight from his heart without any second thought. _

_The fairy did not speak for a short time. Link was beginning to think that he had said something wrong when the fairy finally spoke again. "You were right. You said you would never stray from the light." _

_"But, I was…"_

_"You only lost me. I never left you and I never will." The fairy drifted over and gently landed over Link's heart. "So get out there. Be my protector and savior and don't worry, I'll be right there by your side." The fairy disappeared into Link's chest. _

_Link closed his eyes and smiled. His heart felt lighters now. He felt happy and at peace once again._

* * *

Nayru slowly crept out of Link's heart and looked away from his eyes. She noticed his body did not seem changed and the gloss still coated his eyes.

"Link?" Nayru called his name, worried that maybe what she had just seen was a dream.

At the sound of his name, the gloss suddenly vanished from Link's eyes. His heaving breaths made it seem like he had finally reached the surface after being underwater for a long time.

"What… happened?!" Link panted.

Nayru sighed with relief. "Satan, he was beginning to take over you."

Link's breathing began to slow down. "How could he take over me? My heart was still in my control…"

"Yes, but your mind wasn't. That's what Satan does," Nayru explained. "Ganondorf messed with your mind by telling you something that wasn't true, but put it into words that made it seem true. That one lie lingered in the back of your mind until; finally, it overtook your mind completely. So you were never going to the darkness. Satan just made it seem like you were."

"Ganondorf," Link said his name in a low, threatening tone, "He'll pay for what he did to me!" Link quickly stood up only to find himself falling back down to the ground. "Whoa. Why do I feel so weak?"

"Take it easy," Nayru gently propped Link u with one of her claws. "Your soul has been through a lot. You must give yourself time to rest and recover."

Link slowly nodded as he closed his eyes to rid himself of the dizzy spell he just had. "Nayru, you called out to me in my heart, didn't you?"

"You couldn't see the light that was right in front of your eyes. I had to say something."

"How did you do that?"

Nayru pondered as to how she could tell the young Hylian of her special power. "Since I am one of wisdom, I can read people in a special way. I am able to look into the eyes of any creature that roams this land and see right into their hearts. But I have to be careful with how I use it. Sometimes the memories in a heart aren't meant to be seen."

Link was amazed at hearing about Nayru's special power. "So, you saved me when I was basically trapped inside my own heart."

"I only helped you see the light," Nayru corrected. "You saved yourself."

"Still, without you, I don't know what I would've done to this land. Thank you," Link smiled up at Nayru.

Nayru's silver eyes sparkled as she returned a smile. "Hyrule needs you, Link. You are the only one who can truly defeat Ganondorf."

Link's smile faded. "Why me?"

"Because you have _that_," Nayru moved her gaze to the two pieces of the Master Sword.

Link looked down at the pieces as well and sighed. "Even if we somehow could weld it together, it wouldn't have the same power as before. I don't think there's any possible way of ever restoring it to its original state."

"There is one way to put it back together," Nayru thought aloud.

"What? How?!"

"Light and shadow created the darkness, now light and shadow must come back together to stop it," Nayru explained. "Yours and Zelda's light combined together with the shadow of the Twilight Princess should restore the Master Sword entirely."

"Wait!" Link was shocked from Nayru's explanation. "Did you just say 'Twilight Princess'?!"

"Yes. We must bring her here."

"How can we?" Link sighed in defeat. "The only way to the Twilight Realm has been shattered. There's no other way."

A small grin appeared on Nayru's face. "Once again, you underestimate the goddesses. My power combined with my sisters' powers should be enough to get the Twilight Princess here. Unfortunately, Din is not with us, but Farore and I will see what we can do."

Link hardly heard what Nayru had said. He kept thinking about Midna. The little imp that had gotten him into so much trouble, yet who had taken up a special place in his heart, he was going to see her again.

"Come." Link's thoughts were interrupted when Nayru stood up. "We must go back up Death Mountain. We will have to inform Farore and Zelda of everything once they wake up."

Nayru reached out her strong leg, gently picked up Link, and placed him on her back.

"You might also have to wait until I wake up, too," Link yawned. He had gotten no sleep since his battle with Ganondorf.

"Fall asleep, young one. You need your rest," Nayru said in her gentle voice as she swiftly lifted off the ground and flew towards the top of Death Mountain.

Link quickly fell asleep to the beats of Nayru's wings. No more evil thoughts plagued his mind. Darkness did not way down on his heart anymore. All he felt was a light heart beating in his chest, like the dancing of a fairy.


	8. Chapter 7: Depart for Retrieval

**Disclaimer:** I'm depressed because I don't own Zelda, but I'll get over it by writing this story.

**Author's note:** Wow, this chapter came up sooner than I expected. Alright then, I change the note from Chapter 6 to this chapter because I have to write the next chapter very carefully to make sure that I get it down right, so that might take a while. I know, last chapter wasn't the greatest, but I decided at the last minute to try to write about the inner struggle that some are feeling. It was to give an idea about exactly what all the hell dragons are going through under Ganondorf's control. Anyway, here's Chapter 7, please read, review, and enjoy.

* * *

**Ch. 7 – Depart for Retrieval**

Even with less light in the world, the setting of the sun and the fiery sky was still a beautiful sight from the Goron's home at the top of Death Mountain. The heat emanating from the hot spring on the mountain was very relaxing as Nayru, Farore, Link, and Zelda talked. Nayru and Farore lay on the warm ground in the cavern near the hot spring, while Link and Zelda leaned against their smooth hides.

Though still weak, Zelda and Farore had made a full recovery and Link and Nayru were telling them about the Master Sword and Midna.

"To think that light and shadow could create darkness and then come together again to destroy that same darkness is simply amazing," Zelda was in shock to the news just like Link was the night before.

"But it is true," Farore nodded towards the Princess leaning against Nayru. "I remember hearing about it before we came to this land."

"If we can get the Twilight Princess here, she will be able to restore the Master Sword, which will stop Ganondorf and then she will restore the Mirror of Twilight and that will stop the hell dragons' raids on Hyrule," Nayru stated.

"But there's still one more problem." Zelda, Farore, and Nayru turned their gazes to Link, who was leaning against Farore. Link continued, "What about your sister? If we eliminate the connection between our world and hell, Din will be trapped with Ganondorf forever. And if we kill Ganondorf, who knows what will happen to her.

The goddesses gave a long, sad sigh.

"We must take care of the fate of the land before we take care of the fate of our sister," Nayru said sadly.

"But, we at least need to try to get her away from Ganondorf or something…" Link tried to argue.

"The three of us swore to each other that we would protect the people first, and then protect each other. Din… she knew that she would have hardships when she came here, but she accepted it," Farore chimed in.

The four sat in an endless silence, avoiding eye contact with one another.

"Well then," Link broke the silence. He had a smirk on his face. "We'll just have to find a way now, won't we?"

"You can't save everyone, Link," Zelda sighed. "No matter how hard we try, there's always someone who doesn't make it. It's just how things are."

"I know, and I hate having to pick who will live and who will die. So this time, I'm not going to choose. I'm the one who sent this land into turmoil in the first place. So I'm going to correct my past mistakes and make sure no one gets left behind to die."

Link glanced at Nayru. She smiled and nodded at him. "You're absolutely right, Link. We're too busy throwing a pity party for ourselves that we're not thinking about what we truly need to do."

"We need to take action, right, Sis?" Farore gently pushed Link of off her and stood up in the cavern.

"Yes," Zelda stood up and moved away as Nayru mimicked Farore's actions. "Please excuse us. Farore and I must discuss some personal matters. We shall be back soon."

Nayru and Farore bowed their heads towards the young Hylians. Link and Zelda also gave a small bow as the goddesses stepped out of the cavern, spread out their silky wings, and took off into the evening sky.

Link and Zelda continued watching until the goddesses were out of sight.

Link noticed Zelda put her hand to her head. "Are you alright?"

"I'm just a little dizzy. My powers are returning, but not as quick as I want them to," Zelda gave Link a small, reassuring smile, and then slowly made her way to the wall. She felt a gentle hand grasp her right elbow and another hand was placed on her lower back.

Zelda blushed a little as Link gently helped her to the cavern wall. He helped lower her to a sitting position, then took a place on the ground beside her.

"Thank you," she let out a long breath as she leaned against the smooth, rocky surface and began to relax. "You seem to be back to your old self. Better than last night."

"You heard about that, huh?" Link asked, feeling guilty for not telling her what happened.

"Nayru told me this morning while you were still sleeping. She scared me when she told me Ganondorf had begun to posses you. But it appears you are healed now," Zelda smiled. "I'm glad."

Link blushed a little. Zelda's smile was so sweet, so powerful that he felt weak at the knees whenever he looked at her. He turned away so she wouldn't see his cheeks turning red. "I didn't want to worry you."

Link heard a small chuckle come from Zelda. Knowing that she saw him blush just made his face even redder.

They sat together in silence, enjoying each other's company as the evening sky seemed to glow like fire as it grew closer to night.

"Zelda," Link started hesitantly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" Zelda's face showed a hint of worry.

"Oh, don't worry, it's nothing bad," Link said quickly. "It's just… Something's been on my mind since our last encounter with Ganondorf."

Zelda began to relax again as she continued to look at Link, waiting and listening for his question.

Link began slowly. "Between the three of us, I mean, between you, me, and Ganondorf, since Ganondorf is the devil and we are the light to fight against him, does that make us, like, God?"

Zelda was silent as she thought about how to answer Link's question. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, Link. We are like the angels sent from God, the protectors of light."

Link crossed his arms and thought about Zelda's response. "So… We're the guardian angels of light."

Zelda's smile grew. Link sounded so confident. She knew he had let go of what had happened and was looking ahead for the security of Hyrule. "Yeah, guardian angels."

The darkness of night overtook the last traces of the soft evening sky. Link gently scooped up Zelda's sleeping form and made his way up the Goron's fortress.

* * *

Early the next morning, Renado informed Link and Zelda that Nayru and Farore had come back late last night.

"They would like you to come down so you can depart immediately."

Link and Zelda wasted no time. They fixed themselves up, then rushed down the fortress.

Nayru and Farore stood in the large open area at the base of the Goron's home. All the Gorons, Renado, Luda, and Barnes had gathered together to wish the goddesses and the two young Hylians safe passage and good luck.

Link and Zelda approached the goddesses.

"I'm sorry for rushing you," Nayru started as she gazed at the still-half-asleep Hylians.

"But the faster we move, the better off the land will be," Farore finished her sister's statement.

"We are ready," Link and Zelda nodded in unison.

Link approached Farore and Zelda with Nayru. The goddesses, in turn, gently picked up the humans with their claws and placed them on their backs.

"Take care of yourselves," Zelda called down to Renado from Nayru's back.

"Do not fret over our safety. We will hold out," Renado gave a reassuring smile to the worried Princess. "Do what you must do. Bring light back to this doomed land."

Link looked with concern at Renado and the Gorons. They had done so much, he wanted to say something. "Renado, you should go to the forest. Ordona has died, but Faron is managing to look out for the forest and the Ordonians. You will be a lot safer there."

"Your concern is appreciated, human, but we will not leave our home," Gor Coron stepped up beside Renado and gazed up at Link and Zelda. "If we need to fight to protect our home, we will stay and fight. We are too proud to run."

"You might want to reconsider, though," Farore tried to back up Link's request. "Without the light and power of Eldin, this very mountain could crumble, taking you all down with it. For your safety, and the safety of your clan, please, think about it."

Gor Coron's mood softened as he gazed into Farore's gentle blue eyes. He sighed. "We shall see how things turn out. Right now, what we do depends on your actions."

"I promise you, we will not fail," Link raised his fist to the sky. "This land _will _be enshrouded with light again."

Nayru and Farore spread their wings out and readied to take off.

"Wait!" Gor Coron raised his arms up. "Before you depart, we have a gift for the Chosen Hero. Darbus!"

Link looked surprised as he saw the Gorons' patriarch, Darbus, make his way out of the crowd carrying a rather large sword.

Darbus approached the Goron elder. Gor Coron nodded to Darbus and took the sword. He held the sword out so Link could see it clearly.

"We Gorons stayed up a day and night crafting this sword for the Chosen Hero to use. It is no sacred blade, but it is strong. It will protect you until you fix your blade."

Farore gently picked the sword out of Gor Coron's large hands and handed it to Link.

Still in shock, Link slowly took the sword. As soon as Farore let go, Link had to struggle to hold on to it. It felt like he was holding onto a large boulder, but what could he expect? Gorons were big; they made big, heavy materials.

As soon as he got a good hold, Link examined the blade. The width of the blade was the size of his clenched fist, but it was paper thin. Link could easily see this sword slice through an enemy with no difficulty. The hilt had a rocky texture to it and was warm to the touch. Link knew that they had crafted it inside the mountain. At the tip of the hilt, a small red stone, no bigger than his eye, lay dormant.

Link moved the sword around and noticed that the blade seemed to look like it caught fire if turned at a certain angle. He smiled. "This… This is incredible. I can't accept this, this is too special," Link didn't want to take such a precious item.

Gor Coron shook his head. "Keep it. And with it, take the blessings of the Gorons," Gor Coron bowed before Nayru, Farore, Link, and Zelda. The rest of the Gorons followed their leader and also bowed.

Luda, Barnes, and Renado bowed as well. "Good luck and may the goddesses watch over you."

"Don't worry," Farore smiled at Nayru.

"We will," Nayru finished Farore's statement.

Everyone began to smile and laugh. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, happiness filled the hearts of many.

With a final wave, Nayru and Farore lifted off of the ground and flew quickly to the Mirror Chamber.

* * *

"Shouldn't we be more careful instead of flying out in the open like this?!" Link was concerned as they approached Lake Hylia, for they were open targets for any hell dragon that happened to be nearby.

"Do not worry, Link," Nayru called over to Link from the right. "Mine and Zelda's power together should be able to create a large enough barrier to protect us from any surprise attacks."

Zelda nodded to Link in agreement with Nayru.

Link pushed the doubt out of his mind. They all were going to work together; he couldn't doubt any of their actions. For even the smallest bit of doubt can lead to the biggest consequences.

Lake Hylia was now beneath the group. Link looked down at the sparkling, clear blue water. His gaze stopped on the entrance to Lanayru's Spirit Spring.

"Don't worry, Link." Link was startled by Farore's remark. "Lanayru is strong. He'll be just fine."

Link nodded, but he couldn't keep the hint of doubt that he felt about Lanayru. _I sure hope you're right._

* * *

Wasting no time, Nayru and Farore sped across the desert to the Mirror Chamber.

"It's too quiet," Link scanned the desert with his eyes. There was no sign of life anywhere.

"We can't wait around for an enemy to come out and attack us," Farore said in a stern, yet soft tone. "Just be on your guard."

To the group's surprise, the entire flight was peaceful and safe. They all couldn't help, but give a sigh of relief as they landed inside the large Mirror Chamber.

As Nayru and Farore touched down, the sound of crunching glass could be heard.

As Link and Zelda slid down to the ground, Link knew that the crunching was from the shards of the Mirror of Twilight.

Memories flooded back as Link glanced around the chamber. What had happened just a few weeks earlier now only seemed like it had happened the day before.

He had talked to Midna in that same place. He had found out her true identity there. He had lost her there…

"Stand there, Link." Link came back from his memories at the sound of Nayru's voice. He glanced over at the goddesses. Their gazes rested on the lone pedestal that sat above the sand that once held the Mirror of Twilight.

Link could only nod as he made his way up the steps and faced the large boulder that helped the Mirror transport someone to the world of shadows.

Zelda stood at the base of the pedestal and watched.

"All right, Link," Nayru started. "There is a small chance we might be able to get the Twilight Princess out of her realm, but it is an extremely slim chance. So as soon as you see her, start talking, because we're not sure how long we can do this."

"What do I tell her?!" Link began to get nervous. "How will I know what to say?!"

Farore smiled at Link. "You'll know what to say."

With that note, Farore moved to the right of the chamber and Nayru stood to the left. The triforce appeared on their foreheads and began to glow.

Link felt the same tingling sensation on his left hand just like before. He knew Zelda felt it too because she held her right hand up to her face and stared curiously at it.

A large image of the triforce appeared on the boulder. The triforce of wisdom and courage glowed brightly, but the triforce of power remained dim.

Link realized that Nayru and Farore were in their designated spots on the triforce and that the triforce of power wasn't glowing because Din wasn't there.

Suddenly, an image of the Twilight Realm appeared on the boulder. Link stared in amazement. He wasn't there, but it felt so real to him.

He saw the entrancing sky of the shadow world, he saw the Palace of Twilight, and standing on the edge of the realm, right in front of Link's eyes, was Midna.


	9. Chapter 8: The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't own Zelda, but it doesn't bother me that much anymore. For I am almost done with this story.

**Author's note:** I am very proud of this chapter. I'd have to say that this is my favorite chapter so far. I also got to use the word oblivion in it, so that also made me happy. (I don't know why, I just really like the word oblivion). Anyway, read and enjoy and I'll try to work on the next chapter as soon as I can.

* * *

Ch. 8 – The Beginning of the End

"Princess! We have found a traitor among us!"

Two tall Twili half-carried, half-dragged a struggling, smaller Twili down the long throne room and halted before the Twilight Princess.

Midna's right elbow rested on the arm of her throne and her head lay on top of her hand as she glanced, unmoved, at the Twili that stood before her.

"What has he done wrong?" Midna yawned as she examined the nails on her left hand, obviously bored.

"Your Grace, this traitor has confessed that he worked for Zant!" The two taller Twili shoved the smaller Twili to the bottom of the stairs leading up to Midna. "What's to be his punishment?"

Midna sat silently in her throne. She did not answer, nor did she even give any sign that she had heard what the Twili had said to her.

The Twili looked curiously at their Princess. Her face showed that her mind was drifting somewhere in endless space.

"Princess?"

Midna finally stood up and slowly started to walk down the stairs. The two taller Twili backed away as the Twilight Princess stopped before the traitor.

Midna kneeled down and gazed at the smaller Twili. The young Twili shook and whimpered. Midna heard a light clanking sound. She saw that chains held the Twili's hands close together. His eyes were closed, for he didn't want to see the punishment the Princess was about to inflict on him.

Midna sighed as she put her hands a couple inches apart from each other. A small shadow power ball formed and closed the gap between her hands. She aimed the power ball at the Twili's hands and fired.

The power cut through the chains that bound the young Twili's hands together. The chains broke apart and clattered to the floor. The three Twili could do nothing, but stare in awe as Midna picked up the broken chains and slowly stood up.

Midna gave a small smile to the small Twili. "What you did is a thing of the past. Promise me you won't linger on it, and you may go."

A broad smile filled his small face. He nodded, swept a deep bow before her, and ran out of the throne room.

"Uh… Princess?" One of the remaining Twili finally was able to speak after the shock of Midna's actions. "Why did you let that traitor go? You would normally never let a traitor leave without punishment."

Midna fiddled with the broken chains in her hands. "Zant is no longer here. That young Twili has suffered enough by being under that monster's control," Midna walked past the two tall Twili and headed for the exit of the throne room. "Leave him be."

"Are you alright, Princess?" Midna stopped and turned to her people. Both of the Twili looked concerned. "Ever since Zant was destroyed, you haven't been yourself."

_They're right. _Midna thought to herself. Fighting alongside Link and saving the worlds of light and shadow had really opened her eyes and shown her the terrible person she had been before. Since her adventure, she had changed a lot.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just tired… that's all," Midna began to walk out again. "I'm going out for some air."

The two tall Twili hesitantly started to follow her. "Would you like…"

"Alone." Midna didn't turn around. She simply waved her hand to dismiss the Twili as she walked out.

* * *

Midna stood silently at the edge of the Twilight Realm. After fiddling with the broken chains, she let them fall from her hands. She watched them fall down into the endless Twilight Abyss. After living there her entire life, Midna still didn't know where the abyss led to… or even if it ended. (quick note: remember the abyss; it will pop up later in the book)

After the falling chains disappeared from sight, Midna turned her gaze up to the twilit sky. The sky shadowed the Twilight Realm with a mysteriously, beautiful light. Midna loved the twilit sky, but it was always the same.

Midna surprised herself with her thoughts. The twilight that she had found so entrancing before, now seemed duller in her eyes. Ever since she returned from the world of light, the whole Twilight Realm seemed duller.

The world of light had the twilight she loved, but it also had a dawn, a day, and a night. Her twilight was always the same, but the sunrises and sunsets of light were always different.

Living creatures were born, they lived, and they died along with the land. A never-ending cycle in the world of light. But the Twili never died, unless they were killed by another being. The land of the twilight did not grow or die.

Midna sighed. She didn't realize how much she had missed the world of light. She missed the serene beauty or the rising and setting sun, and the soft glow of the full moon at night. She missed all the many different places and creatures that dwelled there. But most of all… she missed Link.

A single tear rolled down Midna's cheek. She felt terrible for leaving him and Princess Zelda like she did, but she knew if she had told them what she was going to do, Link would stop at nothing to make her stay. (quick note: explained later). She could still see that look of sadness on Link's face as she disappeared back into her world.

Midna wiped away the tears that had begun to form in her eyes. When she looked back to the sky, she stared in shock. She closed her eyes, thinking what she had just seen was a dream. After a few moments, she hesitantly opened her eyes and gazed at the sky once more. No, it was no dream. In the sky, Midna saw a faint image of Link.

The image of Link looked like a ghost to the Twilight Princess, just floating over the never-ending Twilight Abyss.

"Midna?!" The image called out to her. Link's face lightened up with hope and his voice held a pleading note.

"Great!" Midna brought her hands up to hold her head. "I miss him so much, I'm seeing things!"

* * *

Link couldn't help but smile as he watched Midna hold her head and begin to talk to herself. Hearing her voice brought happiness to Link's heart. Nothing had really changed about her.

"This isn't a dream, Midna," Link started out slowly, still recovering from the shock of seeing her again. "This is real."

"Are… Are you dead?!" Midna asked hesitantly.

"No, no… I'm not," Link replied, confused.

Midna let out a small sigh of relief. _That's good. _"How are we able to talk, let alone, see each other? I thought I destroyed the Mirror."

"You did," Link trailed off and was silent. After a few moments, he spoke again. "We don't have a lot of time to talk and the story is too complicated to explain in just a few minutes. Just tell me, can you see any kind of a pathway leading out of the Twilight Realm?"

* * *

Though very confused, Midna glanced around. The Twilight Realm remained unchanged, no paths or gateways leading in or out.

Midna sighed and turned back to Link's image. "No, I don't see anything, nor have I seen anything for the past couple of weeks."

Silence fell between them. Midna turned her gaze away from Link and did not speak, for she didn't know what she could say to him.

"Why did you do it?"

Midna turned her gaze back to Link. She didn't have to question him to know what he was asking her.

"That is also a long story," Midna stated quietly. She quickly changed the subject. "Why are you trying to get me back to your world, Link?"

A look of desperation swept over Link's face. He took a deep breath. "Ganondorf has risen from the dead as the devil, the shards from the Mirror of Twilight are calling up demon dragons from hell, the Master Sword has been ripped in half… Long story short," Link paused. "We need your powers to help us out of turmoil that has befallen the land of Hyrule once again."

Midna couldn't help but chuckle. "You light beings are always getting yourselves mixed up in something," she looked into Link's feral blue eyes. "But I will help you. That is, if I can get back to Hyrule."

"Link! We can't hold it anymore!" Midna heard an urgent voice that seemed to call out of the Twilight sky. She looked around, but no one was there.

"No! Just hold on for a little bit longer!" Link's image began to fade.

"Link! What's going on?!" Midna didn't want Link to fade. Even though he was just an image, it was enough for her.

"Midna!" Link spoke quickly. "We're going to get you here! Trust me! Keep your eyes open and look…"

Link was cut off as his image suddenly vanished from sight. Midna stood in loneliness, searching every inch of the twilit sky, but Link was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Nayru and Farore breathed heavily as they collapsed, exhausted, to the sandy ground. The triforce on each of their foreheads dimmed, as did the large triforce on the boulder in front of Link.

Link stared endlessly at the boulder, hoping that Midna's image would appear again. To his despair, nothing happened.

"Nayru, Farore, can't you let me talk to her again?" Link stepped off of the pedestal and approached the goddesses.

"I'm sorry, Link, but that's all we could do," Farore said as she began to slowly stand back up.

"It's lucky we were even able to do that," Nayru began to stand up as well. "Even if we did try again, who knows if we could connect with the world of Twilight a second time."

Link sighed and nodded his head. "You're right. I'm sorry." He glanced at the boulder again. _I hope she understood what I was trying to say…_

"Link!" Link snapped back to reality at the urgent sound of Zelda's voice.

"What's wrong?!"

Zelda pointed up towards the sky. "Look at the sky!"

Link turned his gaze up to the sky and took in a quick breath. The once bright, day lit sky was being overcome by a dark, menacing cloud.

"Lanayru!" Farore spread her wings out.

"Come on! We have to go!" Nayru picked up Zelda and quickly put her on her back. Farore mimicked Nayru.

Link and Zelda had barely enough time to take hold of the goddesses' neck as they rose out of the Mirror Chamber and took off towards Lake Hylia.

* * *

The desert seemed to pass by as a blur as Nayru and Farore gained speed and made it to Lake Hylia in less than a minute.

As the lake came into view, Link saw two dark beings exiting Lanayru's Spirit Spring. He immediately knew what those things were.

"Hell dragons, dead ahead!"

As they neared closer, they saw that one of the dragons held Lanayru's light orb between its claws. He began to crush the orb until, finally, it shattered into hundreds of pieces. The dragon then simply let the pieces fall into the slowly-draining lake.

Link did not want to enter the Spirit Spring, already knowing the sad fate of the Light Spirit. Instead, he focused his attention on the two escaping hell dragons. To his horror, they were heading for Faron Woods.

"They're going after Faron! Come on!" Link urged. Farore and Nayru picked up speed. They knew they had to hurry, for the woods weren't too far from the lake.

The group of light protectors quickly caught up to the hell dragons in Faron Province.

"Stop them!" Nayru called out. "Show no mercy!"

With that note, Farore lunged for the closest hell dragon. She made impact with it, veering it off its course to the woods.

As Farore struggled to distract the dragon while staying in the air, Link unsheathed the Goron's sword and jumped onto its back.

Link winced in pain once he landed. He looked at the hell dragon's hide. Pools of a slimy liquid were spread around a pukey greenish brown skin. The slime was burning right through his boots.

_Acid?!_

Link was almost thrown off the hell dragons back as it started to move around wildly. Link quickly thrust the Goron's sword into the tough hid of the poison dragon.

As it gave a thunderous roar of pain, Link saw that the dragon had managed to push Farore away.

_It's up to me. I have to get to the head._

Link used his sword to make his way up to the head. Whenever the dragon tried to knock him off, he dug his sword into the slimy hide and held on until the dragon evened out again.

He slowly made his way up the neck. He felt dizzy from the constant movement of the dragon and every step he took felt like he was walking on fire as the acid continued to eat away at his feet.

As soon as he was inches from the head, Link raised his sword and sliced through the dragon's forehead, cutting deeply into both of its eyes.

The dragon veered its head back, throwing Link into the air and sending him plummeting to the ground below.

Link closed his eyes and waited for impact as he quickly descended to the ground.

He made impact, but he landed on something soft. He opened his eyes to see he had landed on Farore's back. He smiled at the goddess.

"Nice save. Thanks," Link sheathed his blood stained sword. He then looked to the ground and saw the dead corpse of the poison hell dragon. He grimaced and turned away from the nauseating sight.

"Link, we must help Nayru and Zelda!" Link looked ahead and saw Nayru quickly dodging a uniquely colored hell dragon, while Zelda attempted to shoo at its eyes with her light arrows.

Their hell dragon was moving its head around wildly, limiting the accuracy of Zelda's shot, but she held her arrow at the ready. Nayru attempted to circle to one of the sides of the dragon to provide a clear shot.

Link quickly got out his bow to assist Zelda. As he readied his arrow, a loud roar pierced the air. He looked back to the dragon to discover that Zelda had found an opportunity to shoot its left eye.

As the hell dragon scratched fiercely at the arrow sticking out of its eye, Link aimed and fired his arrow at its other eye.

The dragon let out a final piercing roar as Link's arrow dug its way into its right eye, sending the hell dragon plummeting to the ground.

The four gave a long sigh of relief, believing that they had protected Faron from danger. Their peace ended quickly as ten more hell dragons rapidly approached from the desert.

_This will never end…_ Link thought as Nayru and Farore sped towards the oncoming demons.

Link and Zelda began to fire off arrows. Most arrows hit their target dead on, but the rest soared to the ground as the dragons began to dodge them.

"They're learning our strategy!" Zelda shouted over to Link.

"Well," Link continued to fire. "I can't really come up with some new tactics at the moment! So I'll stick with this!"

As Lin and Zelda fired off arrow after arrow while Nayru and Farore maneuvered around sharp claws, teeth, and assorted elements, two hell dragons flew silently past the battle and headed straight for the woods.

Link saw the dragons out of the corner of his eye. "No!"

Farore, Nayru, and Zelda heard Link and looked in the direction of the escaping dragons.

Nayru and Farore began to fly after them. Farore had been closer to the woods, so she decreased the distance between her and the hell dragon quickly.

Just as she was about to attack the closest dragon, an unbelievably strong gust of wind blew Farore off course.

Link had to hang on tightly as he was almost blown off Farore's back.

The two began spiraling to the ground, but Farore quickly gained control and began to regain altitude.

Link looked up to see that the source of the wind had come from a small, dull gray dragon hovering above them. He recognized it. It was similar to the wind hell dragon that had threatened to kill him when he had fall off of the Bridge of Eldin.

"We have a wind dragon!" Link informed Farore.

"We also have ice!" Farore stated.

Just then, Link saw a pearly white dragon with sapphire blue crystals covering its body fly up and hover next to the wind dragon. They blocked Farore and Link from the woods.

Without thinking, Link reached into his quiver and fired an arrow at the closest dragon. "Out of the way!"

Both the wind and ice hell dragons easily flew around the arrow and slowly began to inch closer to Farore, causing her to start backing away from the woods.

As Farore focused on the hell dragons, Link turned around and looked to where Nayru and Zelda had been.

Five hell dragons of different elements surrounded the goddess and the Princess, not allowing them to go anywhere.

A loud, sudden roar pierced the air from the woods, followed by a high, desperate cry.

"Faron!"

Suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

It was like the land had been sent into a night of pure darkness.

Link raised his hand up and put it an inch away from his face. He couldn't see it. He looked around him, searching for the faintest glow of light. Nothing appeared.

"Link? You still there?" Link heard Farore's voice call out to him from the darkness.

"Yes, I'm still here. Have we landed?"

"No, I haven't even dared to move from this spot. Right now, I can't tell which way is up, down, left, or right," a hint of worry filled the goddesses' voice. "On top of that, I can't sense the hell dragons' presence anymore. I have no idea where they went."

Link swallowed hard. Out of habit, he looked around, but, of course, he couldn't see anything. A shiver went down his spine. He felt so vulnerable in this darkness.

"Farore, are you there?!" Nayru's voice call out from somewhere behind Link and Farore.

"Over here." Link felt Farore's body shifting and moving around to face the sound of Nayru's voice. Then, the triforce on her head began to glow.

Link let out a small sigh of relief. In the thick blanket of darkness, it was nice to see even the smallest slimmer of light.

Another triforce faintly began to glow a few feet ahead of Link and Farore. It slowly bound closer and closer until it was only a few inches away.

"Zelda, are you alright?" Link called out. He hadn't heard a word from the Princess since the darkness fell.

"Yes… I'm fine," sadness filled Zelda's voice. "The Light Spirits… they're… all… they can't be…"

A deep chuckle echoed out of the darkness and seemed to come from everywhere.

"Ganondorf!" Link shouted in anger, as he recognized that evil laugh. "Show yourself!"

"Darkness…" Ganondorf's voice echoed around them again. "This land has finally been enshrouded in darkness!"

Suddenly, Faron Province was ablaze.

Farore, Nayru, Link, and Zelda were temporarily blinded by the unexpected brightness of the inferno.

After struggling to open their eyes again, the four looked towards the castle, where Ganondorf's voice was the strongest. Their eyes rested on a terrible sight.

Ganondorf continued to snicker on Din's back as they hovered a few hundred feet away. Behind Ganondorf, hovered an army of what appeared to be over two hundred hell dragons.

Link was at a loss for words as he gazed at all those dark, black eyes staring at him, making him fell like a small, frightened child.

He was brought back to reality when he felt Farore vibrating. She was growling at Ganondorf.

"We will have our sister back now!" Farore shouted over to the devil.

Link gazed over at Nayru and Zelda, who were now on his right. Nayru shot an icy glare that would make even the strongest man in Hyrule whimper like a child. Zelda had her light arrows rest on her lap, but her body was tense. She was ready for any sudden attacks. Link tightened his grip on his bow, which he had forgotten he had been holding, and reaching into his quiver. He felt the greatly reduced amount of arrows he had as he brought one out. _It looks like I'll be putting that Goron sword to good use._

Link let the frightened child go and shouted to Ganondorf, "This darkness will disappear and light will reign over this land as it always has and as it always will!"

"Stop kidding yourself, boy! You always think the light will win! Well guess what?! All four Light Spirits are dead!" Ganondorf unsheathed a glowing sword and mockingly bowed before them. "I now stand before you as the one who shall send you and the remainder of your pathetic light into oblivion!" He straightened back up, then pointed his sword at the small group of light dwellers. "Attack!"

All at once, the army of hell dragons lurched forward, along with Din, towards Farore, Nayru, Link, and Zelda.

Time seemed to stop as Link watched the army inch closer and closer to them. No words could express how the chosen hero felt at that moment.

"Well, this is it," Farore turned her head around. Her voice held sadness as her sapphire blue eyes met with Link's. "Are you ready to fight and die for what you believe in, Link?"

Link gazed at her for a while longer, then turned and looked over at Nayru, and then Zelda.

Everyone had sadness in their eyes, for they knew that there was a strong possibility that they weren't going to come out of this battle alive. Yet, overpowering that sadness, was a determination that said that they weren't going to stop fighting until the light was back and safe once again.

Link patted Farore's neck and smirked. "Let's do it."

Everyone nodded as Farore and Nayru gave a final roar and then advanced towards the oncoming army. Ready to battle to the death.

* * *

**Another Author's note:** I'm sorry, temptation was killing me for another cliff hanger. I haven't had one for a while. I'll update soon. I hope you all read the quick notes I put in here.


	10. Chapter 9: Perish into Oblivion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Zelda, or anything that has to do with Zelda.

**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm getting these chapters up faster than I thought I was going to. Alright everyone, enjoy chapter 9. Lookie! I got to use the word oblivion again! :)

* * *

**Ch. 9 – Perish into Oblivion**

Dragon after dragon fell lifelessly towards the flaming ground of Faron Province as Link, Zelda, Nayru, and Farore fought for their lives against the large hell dragon army. But it seemed for every dragon shot down, seven more took its place.

Link reached into his quiver for another arrow as Farore maneuvered around countless bodies, slashing at the hell dragons' eyes as she flew. The young hero just grabbed air. No arrows were left.

Link cursed under his breath as he tucked his bow away and unsheathed the Goron sword again. Though still hard to hold up from its weight, Link didn't pay heed and began to slice at any hell dragon's head with the strong sword.

As he and Farore fought on, Link saw a glowing blue magic sphere the size of a pumpkin fly past his head and explode upon the hell dragon's eyes behind him.

Link looked forward. Magic was forming together in between Zelda's hands, much like Midna did with her shadow powers. Once the magic took on the appearance of a large sphere, Zelda then hurled it at any open target.

_She must have run out of light arrows. _Link thought as he focused back on the battle. He knew that Zelda could easily create new light arrows, but the main item needed for them was… light. And with no light, what could she do?

Nayru maneuvered around and clawed at the hell dragons' eyes much like Farore was. But, on occasion, she would put a protective barrier around herself and Zelda if an enemy approached too quickly for either of them to attack.

After dodging attack after attack, Nayru and Farore made it out of the battle. They drifted in the air, giving themselves and the two young Hylians a quick breather.

The light dwellers were exhausted. Link realized the sword's weight again and how sore his arms were. The sword was completely drenched in blood. From swinging the sword around so much, the blood now started to cover his tunic, turning it from a dark forest green to a dark red.

He looked at the others. Nayru and Farore kept their wings spread apart, gliding, so as to give themselves a break. Their claws dripped with blood and their stomachs expanded and shrunk slowly with the long breaths they took.

Then, Link looked to Zelda. Her eyes were closed as she took in long breaths. Her hands, bloody and tattered, lay limp in her lap. Link wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out… How much longer they all could hold out.

Their time of rest was short-lived, for the hell dragons pursued them, not going to stop until the last of the remaining light was dead.

Link tightened the grip on his sword as Farore and Nayru quickly turned and headed back into battle.

The four light dwellers took out the hell dragons that were right behind them with ease. But before they reentered the large clump of hell dragons, Link saw something coming towards them out of the corner of his eye and it was coming fast.

Before Farore or Link could react, Din slammed her powerful body into Farore.

As the goddesses made impact, Link saw Ganondorf jump off of Din's back, sword drawn, and heading right towards him.

Link brought up the Goron's sword to defend himself from the blow of the oncoming attack.

The attack was much more powerful than Link could imagine. As blades clashed, Link felt himself falling backwards from Ganondorf's forceful attack. Before he knew it, he and Ganondorf were falling, falling towards the flaming ground below.

"Link!" Farore shook off the pain from Din's body slam and began to dive after Link's falling form.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Din dove in front of Farore, blocking her way to Link.

Trying to find a way around her sister, but with no success, Farore desperately looked over to Nayru on her left.

Nayru had seen Link fall and was trying to dive after him as well, but the hell dragons mimicked Din's actions and flew in front of her, also blocking her way.

Farore, Nayru, and Zelda continued to fight, but could only watch helplessly as Link struggled with Ganondorf all the way down to the ground.

* * *

Link tried to push Ganondorf away, but he was at a major disadvantage. Ganondorf hovered over Link's small form as gravity increased the speed of their fall.

_If he lands on me… I'm dead! _Link thought. As the ground inched closer, Link took his right hand off of the hilt of the Goron sword and then grabbed its blade.

Link winced in pain as the razor sharp steel blade pierced the delicate skin on his hand, but even through the pain, he didn't let go. This new placement of his hands made it a little easier to control where he was going to end up.

With all the strength he had left, he pushed against Ganondorf's weight and strength. He managed to switch places with the King of Evil, so now Link was on top.

Just as Link let out a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to be crushed to death, he saw the ground only inches away.

_This is going to hurt! _Link closed his eyes.

Ganondorf slammed into the ground first, or more like, slammed into the water first.

As Ganondorf made impact, he lost his grip on his glowing sword and it fell out of his hand as Link crashed down onto his large chest.

Though it was somewhat cushioned, Link still felt pain course through his body as he bounced off of Ganondorf's large, muscular body and landed harshly in the water a few feet away.

Link struggled to keep his face above the shallow pool of water. He glanced around and noticed that they had landed in the small pond of Faron Province. To his luck and relief, the pond was the only part of the field that wasn't on fire.

"You don't know when to quit… do you?!"

Link moved his gaze back to Ganondorf. Ganondorf growled as he grabbed his sword out of the water and struggled to stand up. Yes, even the mighty Devil himself was having trouble recovering from the fall.

"Look who's talking," Link struggled to stand up as well, trying to prop up the Goron sword with just his left hand. Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength to hold it up, so he gently wrapped his right hand around the hilt. Pain shot all throughout his right hand as the gash from the sword reacted to the hard texture. Blood oozed its way out of the gash, but Link paid no attention to it. He focused everything he had left on Ganondorf.

Silence filled the air as Ganondorf and Link faced each other, swords drawn. Not a ripple was made in the water, for neither of them dared to make the first move. That pond… That small body of water was their battlefield, for the field around them was ablaze, surrounding them, allowing nothing to escape.

After a few moments, an evil smile crossed Ganondorf's face. He raised his hand and gestured, daring Link to come at him.

Link hesitated for only a second, then he and Ganondorf lunged at each other.

* * *

"Din, I don't want to fight you!" Farore focused all of her attention on her sister once she saw that Link had survived the fall.

"You must always fight for your place in the world. If you don't, you will die!" Din's powerful emerald green eyes were coated over with a glossy texture.

Farore looked at her sister with sorrow. She knew Din's spirit was suffering under Ganondorf's control, but she was helpless to save her.

"Din, I know you," Farore spoke softly. "I know you fight, but you fight for the protection and safety of those weaker than you. You fight to protect the light from darkness such as this," Farore moved her gaze around to look at the blanket of darkness covering Hyrule.

"I fight for my master and for nothing else," Din hissed.

"You are in a fight right now, Din!" Farore was desperate. "You must fight against Ganondorf's control over you. Din, you are stronger than that. Please, fight! The land of Hyrule needs the Goddess of Power back. The light needs you back. But, most importantly… Nayru and I… We want our sister back."

Those last words barely came out as a whisper as Farore began to cry.

Din watched Farore's silent tears fall to the ground like rain.

"Oh… Farore…"

Farore gazed through clouded eyes towards Din.

Din was beginning to sway in the air. She closed her eyes and began to breathe heavily. Tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Din? What's wrong?!" Farore asked, but she already knew the answer. Din was fighting against Ganondorf's control; she was fighting for her freedom.

"I… I don't… want to hurt anymore!" Din began to thrash her head around wildly.

After a few moments, Din was still… silent. Farore held her breath, wondering what her sister was going to do next.

Then, Din began to fall. She fell towards the ground like Link had.

"Din!" Farore dived down under Din's body and propped her up with her right wing. She struggled to hold both of them up while using only one wing, but it was in vain, as Farore felt herself sinking to the ground.

"Din! Din!"

Din slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was clear and for the first time in what seemed like years, she saw what she wanted to see, though the army of hell dragons, the flaming Province, and the blanket of darkness weren't very appealing to the eye.

"Farore," Din smiled down at her sister, too happy to realize that the flames were licking dangerously close to them.

"All right…" Farore felt the heat from the inferno. "Let's have… our family reunion… once we get back into the air… huh?"

Din finally noticed how close the flames were. "Oh!" She then gracefully moved away from Farore and shot up into the air.

Once she felt Din move off of her, Farore shot up after her sister.

The goddesses were high in the air, far away from the flames, and there, they began to rejoice.

They flew around each other, much like baby dragons would. They laughed, not being able to stop smiling.

Then, Din came to an abrupt halt. She turned to Farore, a serious look overtaking her smile. "Where's Nayru?"

Farore's eyes grew wide. Then, she flew off towards the battle, to where she had seen Nayru last. Din followed closely behind.

Nayru and Zelda were in the midst of about twelve dragons. Nayru's barrier was holding out while Zelda continued to form her magic spheres. But Nayru's barrier was dimming, Zelda's magic spheres were growing smaller and less powerful, they weren't going to last much longer.

Farore and Din flew at the dragons and began taking them out.

Dragon after dragon fell as Farore and Din clawed away at their eyes, their determination not ceasing until Nayru was safe.

Once all the hell dragons were gone, Nayru's barrier dropped and she began to fall.

Farore and Din swiftly flew under Nayru, using their bodies to prop up their sister. Farore was thankful for the extra help of holding up Nayru.

"Din," Nayru smiled weakly, her eyelids beginning to drop.

"Hey, sis," Din said gently.

Zelda smiled. All three of the goddesses were together again, only this time, they weren't attacking each other.

"Do not worry about me," Nayru looked towards the hell dragon army. "Focus on the battle."

Din and Farore glared at the army ahead of them. Their glares slowly turned into looks of confusion. The army wasn't moving. They just hovered in place, looking down at the ground.

Zelda and the goddesses followed their gazes to the ground. There, they saw Link and Ganondorf fighting.

"Link!" The goddesses were startled from Zelda's sudden outburst. Through the joy of being together again, they had forgotten that the Princess was on Nayru's back.

Din gazed down at the one-on-one battle, then turned her gaze to the hell dragon army. "I understand now."

"What is it, Din?" Nayru asked as she began to pull away from her sisters, slowly gaining her strength back.

"All of Ganondorf's attention is on Link. That's why I was able to break away from him. And that's why those hell dragons aren't attacking us. They're waiting for more orders from Ganondorf."

"We shall use this to our advantage then," Farore began to fly towards where she thought the desert was. "We must bring the Twilight Princess back now."

"But, we can't just leave Link!" Zelda tried to protest.

"We can't waste time, Princess!" Nayru began to follow after Farore.

Din flew up alongside Nayru. "You need me to help complete the gateway out of the Twilight Realm. And if Ganondorf decides to take control of my mind again, I won't be able to help."

Zelda understood, but she was still worried about Link.

"Link is strong, Zelda." Zelda turned her gaze to Farore, who still flew shortly ahead. "He can hold out a little bit longer."

With that, the goddesses headed out into the darkness, hoping that they could find their way to the Mirror Chamber.

* * *

Link breathed heavily as Ganondorf mercilessly hacked away at his sword. Link couldn't even find an opening to attack the King of Evil.

"You can't defeat me with that sword!" Ganondorf forcefully brought his sword down. Link managed to block it, but then Ganondorf caught him off guard. When their swords collided, Ganondorf removed his left hand from the hilt of his sword and brought his fist up and into Link's stomach.

All the air escaped as Link was knocked off his feet, thrown through the air, and slammed down into the water on his back. The force of the impact made Link drop the Goron sword.

As he tried to breathe air into his lungs, he slowly reached his right arm out for his sword.

Link cried out as Ganondorf's foot crushed the bones in his right arm. He looked up to see the sharp tip of Ganondorf's sword just inches away from his face.

Ganondorf sneered as he saw the 'great Chosen Hero' lying on the ground. He saw sweat and water dripping down the side of Link's face.

"It's over!" Ganondorf shouted as he went in for the strike.

Link closed his eyes and waited for the blow. But before Ganondorf's sword cut him through, Link felt a familiar tingle course through his body. This sensation… he remembered it… the last time he felt it was… two and a half weeks ago…

Link suddenly disappeared into shadow particles as Ganondorf's sword cut through air and struck the water.

Ganondorf growled. He pulled his sword out of the ground and looked around. Link was nowhere to be found. "Where did you go, boy?! Show yourself!"

* * *

Link was placed gently on soft grass as his particles assembled together. He smiled as he figured out that he had been transported by twilight. But transported where?

Link took a look around. Darkness covered the air, but it wasn't as dark in this area as it had been on Faron Province. He saw that he was in the sacred grove, amongst the ruins of the Temple of Time. The pedestal that held the Master Sword lay just a few feet away from him.

Slowly, Link stood up. His right arm lay limply at his side, throbbing with a terribly indescribable pain. He gazed around, looking for someone… anyone. His gaze stopped on a figure that lingered in the shadows not too far from him.

"Link!" The figure ran out of the shadows calling his name, revealing herself.

"Zelda, you're alright," Link smiled at the approaching Princess.

"I'm fine, but what about…" Zelda scanned his body for any fatal wounds. Her gaze fell on Link's crippled arm. She took in a quick breath. "What happened to you?!"

"Ganondorf stepped on me," Link joked, trying to ease the tension that lingered in the air.

"Stop joking around, Link!" Zelda said sharply. "This is serious. You're hurt!"

"Don't worry about me. I'm…" Link started.

"I was praying nothing would happen to you, but you're hurt. I was already scared when I saw you fall, I couldn't do anything to help you. And then, watching you fight Ganondorf, I just…" Zelda spoke very quickly. She only stopped when Link brought his fingers to her lips.

After Zelda was quiet, Link removed his left hand from her mouth and placed it on her shoulder. He smiled. Not the fake, reassuring smile that he always gave her, but a real smile. "I'm fine, Zelda."

Zelda's eyes gazed at Link with the look of a child who had just lost their mother. Then, unexpectedly, Zelda wrapped her arms around his waist, engulfing him in a hug.

Link stood there, dumb-founded, not knowing how to react. After a few moments, he wrapped his good arm around her.

When he had returned the embrace, Link was surprised. Though Zelda was strong and had a strong spirit, she was trembling.

Link drew her closer to him, wanting to protect her from any evil being in Hyrule. He knew she was scared… he was scared too.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" A familiar chuckle filled the air.

Recognizing that voice, Link released Zelda and looked over at the pedestal of the Master Sword.

Midna stood next to the pedestal. Her arms were crossed and she was smiling at her two favorite Hylians. Lying at her feet, were the two pieces of the Master Sword.

Link stared at the pieces with confusion. "How did you…?"

"Nayru gave them to me. She told me to apologize to you for taking them while you slept."

Link smiled as he remembered the night Nayru had saved his soul from being devoured by darkness. "So, you know the whole story now, right?"

Midna nodded. "The goddesses summed it up for me pretty fast, but I think I got it." She then beckoned for Link and Zelda to come over to her as she knelt down next to the pieces of the Master Sword.

Link and Zelda made their way over and knelt down next to the Twilight Princess, creating a circle around the broken blade.

Midna pushed the pieces together. "Zelda, put your hand on the crack first."

Zelda nodded and gently placed her right hand over the crack that revealed that the blade was broken.

Midna placed her right hand on top of Zelda's. She looked at Link. "Put your hand over mine, Link."

Link slowly placed his left hand on top of Midna's. Her hand… For a being from the shadows, her hand held warmth and comfort.

"Now, focus your light energy into the Master Sword." Midna closed her eyes.

Link and Zelda closed their eyes and focused.

Nothing happened.

Midna opened her eyes and looked at Link and Zelda. "Someone is troubled and they are unable to focus." Her gaze immediately rested on Link. "What's wrong, Link?"

Link sighed. "I'm sorry, but I need to know." He looked longingly into Midna's entrancing red eyes. "Why did you leave?"

Midna drew her gaze away from the hero. "Long story short… I created enough trouble for you. I didn't want to cause anymore. You deserve better, Link."

Midna felt a gentle squeeze from Link's hand. She looked back at him, expecting to see anger or sadness in his eyes. To her surprise, a smile crossed his face.

"I like a little adventure. And you opened my eyes to something so much greater," he gazed at her and then gazed at Zelda. If it hadn't been for Midna, he would've never met either of them.

All of a sudden, light particles that looked like fireflies began to flow down Link and Zelda's arms.

Particles drifted down Midna's arm as well, only hers were of shadow.

The firefly particles intertwined together where their hands met. The particles slipped through the three's fingers and made their way into the broken blade.

Once the particles ceased to flow, the Master Sword began to glow. (No rhyme intended)

The three look at each other, then slowly removed their hands from the blade.

The Master Sword lay in one piece on the ground. The joining of light and shadow emanated a beautiful type of violet light that encircled the sacred blade.

Link, Zelda, and Midna stared in shock. Link was almost afraid to touch it.

"Go ahead, Link," Midna nodded towards the Master Sword.

Link held his breath as he reached his left arm out and wrapped his hand around the hilt. A familiar kind of power coursed through his body, but this new power far surpassed its former power. Link smiled. _Welcome back, old friend. _The power made his body feel good, making him forget the throbbing pain in his crushed arm.

"To think that light and shadow have merged together again to destroy the very thing that it created." Link was answered by silence. He looked around, wondering what had happened to the Princesses.

They remained seated on the ground, but they now faced each other, hands joined together. To Link, it appeared as if they were praying.

The shadow and light particles flowed down their arms once again. The particles then intertwined in between them. Light arrows appeared on the ground, but they had the same glow that emanated from the Master Sword. Zelda picked up the arrows, then, her and Midna stood up with Link.

"The goddesses are waiting at the Mirror Chamber. We shall go there once this battle is over," Midna began.

"But, we need all the help we can get," Link was shocked. After everything the goddesses had done for them, the one time they needed them most, they weren't going to help?!

"This is our battle, Link." Zelda's voice brought Link back to reality. "They want us to take care of it."

Link sighed. This _was _their battle and they _were _going to win. He nodded to Zelda and Midna.

"I shall assist you," Midna snapped her fingers. They all began to dissolve into shadow particles. Before they completely disappeared, a single sentence drifted through the air towards Link.

"Finish off Ganondorf quickly."

* * *

"You're a coward, boy!" Ganondorf struck the ground. He was ticked, searching the area for Link. "You run away from a fight?! Where are you?!"

"Right her." A voice called out from behind Ganondorf. He quickly turned around. Link, Zelda, and Midna stood before him.

Ganondorf chuckled. "Three against one? Now that isn't very fair, is it?"

Link stepped forward. He held the Master Sword, with one hand, out towards Ganondorf. Link smiled as he enjoyed Ganondorf's shocked face upon seeing the blade he had broken, in one piece before his very eyes. "It's just you and me, Ganondorf."

"Ah," Ganondorf raised his sword up as well. "This should be interesting."

Without hesitation, Ganondorf and Link lunge for each other again.

With the Master Sword's help, Link defended himself against every attack Ganondorf sent his way.

As Link fought, Zelda and Midna fired arrows and magic at the still forms of the hell dragons, wanting to destroy as many as possible in case Ganondorf gave them another command.

Sparks flew as blades clashed. The water was not still as Link and Ganondorf lunged and maneuvered around each other, trying to find an opening to attack.

"Din! Din, come to me!" Ganondorf called out to the sky as he continued to dodge and attack Link.

"What's wrong, Ganondorf?" Link breathed heavily. "Do you need help to take me on?"

"As if!" Ganondorf brought his sword down hard. Their blades clashed together and remained intact as Ganondorf leaned forward. His face closed in to Link's. He hissed, "I was going to use her to get rid of your little archers over there."

Link knew he was talking about Zelda and Midna. He glared at Ganondorf. "Too bad. Din is free from your grasp!"

Ganondorf quickly looked to the sky. He noticed that all three of the goddesses were missing. "Not for long. She is bound to me. She can never run nor hide from me!" Ganondorf began to focus in on Din's mind.

"You will not take her again!" Link pushed Ganondorf back. As Ganondorf stumbled, Link raised his sword and sliced through his left shoulder.

Ganondorf looked at the blood flowing down his arm with surprise. With that strike, he actually felt… pain. _They did something… They did something to that wretched blade! _ His surprise turned to anger, as Ganondorf struck out at Link again.

Link continued to easily ward off Ganondorf's attacks. He felt like he knew every attack, every move that the devil was going to make. His body moved swiftly as if an unseen force was controlling him.

"You know, Ganondorf," Link could hear Ganondorf beginning to breathe heavily. "If you can throw out that demon that's housed itself inside of you, I might spare your life!"

"Fat chance!" Ganondorf struck at Link. "I've tasted a power so incredibly evil that I'll never let it go!"

"It's tearing you apart from the inside out, Ganondorf!"

"I have claimed this power and I will do with it what I please! And right now, I'm going to use it to finish you off once and for all!"

Ganondorf raised his sword and struck down with such force that Link was sent skidding backwards.

Link recovered quickly from the blow and glared. "I won't die until you take your last breath first!"

Link and Ganondorf lunged at each other, this strike being the final blow.

All time stopped as the Master Sword stabbed right through Ganondorf's heart. Ganondorf stood still, mouth gaping as the power of light and shadow dissolved away from the Master Sword and coursed through his body, killing all of the darkness stored inside him.

Link smiled as he breathed heavily. But something was off. Every breath he took sent pain throughout his body. As he continued to feel pain, he felt something wet running down his left leg.

Link slowly glanced down. Sticking out of his own heart was Ganondorf's blade. Blood poured out and continued to run down his side. The blood entered the water, staining it red.

As the darkness faded from inside him, Ganondorf fell backwards and crashed into the water, adding more blood to the already blood-stained pond.

With the last of his strength, Link forced Ganondorf's sword out from his heart and dropped it on the ground. He then clutched his chest as the blood began to race out faster. Blood filled his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Fading in and out of the dark, Link fell forward into the water and lay next to Ganondorf.

"Fool…" Link forced his eyes open as he heard Ganondorf whisper." You… may… have killed… this body… but… I will drag… your soul… down to hell with me…" With those words, Ganondorf closed his eyes. The rise and fall of his chest ceased as his heart stopped beating.

Link let out a chuckle. "I'd… like… to see… you… try…" The sound of each beat of his heart silenced as Link's body went numb and he exhaled his last breath of life.

* * *

**Another Author's Note:** I know! You hate me for leaving another cliff hanger, but I am going to make it up to you. The next chapter is my last chapter and I'm going to post both that and the epilogue up at the same time. How does that sound? Sorry that there wasn't much of a hell dragon army battle. I mostly wanted to focus on the battle between Link and Ganondorf. And yes, I did cry while writing this chapter. Keep your eyes open for the conclusion of Shattered Twilight!


	11. Chapter 10: Descend to Ascend

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything that has to do with Zelda, although I wish I did.

* * *

**Ch. 10 - Descend to Darkness to Ascend to Light**

The air was filled with agonizing roars as the hell dragons gained control of their minds once again. But they weren't as strong-spirited as Din, so the sudden gain wound up killing them. They began to fall, one by one, out of the dark sky.

As their lifeless bodies crashed to the ground, the flames surrounding the field began to disperse.

Paying no attention to what happened around them, Zelda and Midna ran over to the two still forms of Link and Ganondorf lying in the blood-stained water.

Zelda fell to her knees next to Link. She carefully turned him onto his back and gently propped his head up on her lap.

Tears formed in her eyes as she saw the large, bloody hole that was Link's heart. Blood continuously flowed out of the fatal wound. She gently wrapped her arms around his limp body and cried. She knew even he couldn't have survived that attack.

Midna looked away as a tear rolled down her cheek as well. The sight of Link's mangled body was too much for her heart to handle.

As the flames continued to disappear, Midna noticed the darkness overtaking the land once again. She turned and glared at Ganondorf's corpse. "It's not over."

"What?" Zelda gazed at the Twilight Princess through clouded eyes.

"Ganondorf is dead, which means that light should have returned to the land, but it hasn't. That means that Ganondorf must be keeping the Light Spirits' souls imprisoned somewhere in hell and he is refusing to set them free."

"But, what does that have to do with Link?" Zelda questioned, wondering where Midna was getting at.

"Link is continuing to fight for the light's freedom even as we speak!"

Zelda took in a quick breath. "Link... is in... hell?"

Midna gave a solemn nod. Her heart grew heavier once she saw more tears begin to fall down Zelda's cheeks. "Please, Zelda," Midna spoke softly as she approached the weeping Princess. She knelt down and gently wiped the tears from her eyes. "No more tears. I promise, we are going to bring him back."

"But, how?" Zelda's soft blue eyes locked with Midna's fiery gaze. She saw a smile dance across the Twilight Princess's face. "What are you planning to do, Midna?"

"The Mirror of Twilight contains more power than you could possibly imagine." As those words lingered in the air, the four beings dissolved into shadow particles and made their way to the Mirror Chamber.

* * *

Din watched as her sisters waited anxiously for a sign, any sign that told them that the young Hylians and Twili were alright.

The three goddesses lay in the dark Mirror Chamber. Farore made deep gashed in the sand with her claws, trying to hide her impatience, but failing miserably. Nayru scanned every inch of the surrounding area every few seconds, waiting for something, anything to happen.

Suddenly, Din, Nayru, and Farore perked their heads up, all sensing a presence in the Chamber. They glanced over at the large pedestal that rose from the sand that had once held the Mirror of Twilight.

Shadow particles fell from the sky like black rain as they came together and formed four beings on the pedestal.

Farore and Nayru could not help but let a sigh of relief escape as they saw Link, Zelda, and Midna appear before them. But their relief drifted away as they felt a disturbance in the air. They saw Midna hovering over Ganondorf's still form, her arms crossed in front of her, and Zelda, kneeling on the ground and cradling Link, her face tear stained.

"What happened?!" Urgency filled Farore's voice.

"Link... He..." Zelda couldn't stop the tears that began to form in her eyes.

"He killed Ganondorf, but he was killed in the process," Midna finished quietly.

Din was overjoyed to hear Ganondorf was finally dead, but her joy was overwhelmed by sadness. She did not want this young boy to sacrifice his life for her freedom.

After a long quiet pause, Nayru spoke quietly, "Then, we shall return to heaven, find his spirit, and..."

"He won't be up there," Midna cut Nayru off, venom creeping into her voice.

Nayru was taken aback by Midna's sudden outburst.

"What do you mean?!" Farore stepped forward.

"I shall tell you, but first, I must dispose of this wretched corpse!" Midna spat at Ganondorf.

Midna closed her eyes. She slowly raised her arms up to the sky. As her arms rose, the scattered shards from the Mirror of Twilight rose from the ground. Zelda and the goddesses gazed around in amazement as millions of glowing shards rose and drifted through the air around them.

Midna held the shards in the air for what seemed like forever, then, she swiftly brought her left arm down at an angle across her body. A group of shards flew quickly towards her. Zelda was afraid that Midna would be pierced by the glass, but the shards passed harmlessly through her and began to cling to the mirror's stand.

As swiftly as before, Midna brought her right arm down in the same motion. Like before, another group of drifting shards passed through her and clung to the other shards on the stand.

She moved her arms through the air, creating a pattern of some sort. And with each stroke, another group of shards clung to the stand. Zelda realized that Midna was tracing the triforce in the air. But something else caught her eye. A single tear was rolling down the Twilight Princess's cheek.

All the shards were together on the stand. The Mirror of Twilight stood once again, but it was cracked in hundreds of places, appearing to collapse if anyone even touched it.

"Tears of sorrow, shall break," Midna said aloud towards the sky. The tear that rolled down her cheek drifted away from her body until it floated a few inches in front of her.

"Tears of anger, recreate!" Her eyes flew open. She raised her hand and shoved the tear towards the broken mirror. A bright white light overtook the void of darkness, followed by the sound of shattering.

Zelda uncovered her eyes from the unexpected light, expecting to see the Mirror in pieces again. She stared in amazement as she saw quite the opposite.

The Mirror of Twilight, together without a single crack, emanated its mysterious shadowy light upon the large boulder at the other end of the Chamber. On the boulder, a unique pattern danced and twirled.

"She did it," Zelda whispered, still recovering from what had happened. She looked around for the Twilight Princess, but she was gone, along with Ganondorf's corpse.

* * *

Midna walked to the edge of the Twilight Realm with Ganondorf's body drifting closely behind her.

Using her shadow powers, she moved Ganondorf out so he now hovered over the Twilight Abyss.

A smile danced across Midna's face as she took in one final look at the despicable demon that hovered before her. "If you even think about coming back to life, let's see you try and escape this."

With a wave of her hand, Ganondorf's body dropped. She watched him fall, fall into the endless Twilight Abyss. Never to return.

* * *

"Where were you?" Concern filled Zelda's voice as Midna reappeared onto the pedestal.

"I was just disposing a demon in a place where no one will ever find him," the smile was still pasted on Midna's face.

"You must tell us now!" Impatiency filled Farore's voice. "What do you mean he won't be in heaven?!"

The smile faded as Midna remembered they had more problems on their hands. She sighed as she told the goddesses what she had told Zelda earlier.

The goddesses were speechless.

"His only chance of survival is if we go down to hell and save his soul," Midna finished.

"Midna, have you forgotten?" Nayru sighed in defeat. "All of us are beings of light. If we even step foot down there, evil and darkness shall overcome us and our souls will be lost as well."

Din, Farore, and Zelda all nodded slowly in agreement.

"Have _you _forgotten?" The smile returned to Midna's face. "I'm the Twilight Princess. A being of shadow, such as myself, can handle the darkness and even come back out unharmed and unscathed."

The goddesses and Zelda knew this to be true, but another question still lingered in the air.

"How will you even get down there?"

Midna hesitated. She glanced around, as if someone was listening in on her. "Do not tell _anyone _I did this!" She hissed under her breath. "I'm only able to do this once, but this is an emergency!"

She approached the Mirror of Twilight and stood behind it. She brought her right arm up to rest on top of it. "You might want to move." She gestured for the goddesses to clear the area to her right.

Once the goddesses had hastily moved off to the side, Midna began to turn the Mirror. She turned it towards the right and began to angle it downward as she went.

The shadowy light now emanated off the ground. The unique pattern now danced on top of the sand.

Suddenly, the area where the light shone began to cave in. The sand drained slowly down a large, forming hole. Zelda took in a quick breath as she saw flames trying to escape out of the ever enlarging hole. A staircase became visible, leading down into the fiery pit.

"No way!" Din's eyes widened as she stared endlessly at the large hole. "That can't be what I think it is!"

"Oh, but it is," Midna stepped off of the Mirror pedestal ad stood in front of the new opening. "This is the gateway to hell. To the living eye, at least."

"Don't tell me you plan on going down there?!" Zelda called over to Midna from the pedestal, Link still resting on her lap.

"I must. This is my only chance to do this. And if I fail..." Midna trailed off. She brought her hand up and held it close to her chest. "Link's soul will be lost... as well as my own."

Silence filled the dark Chamber.

"I shall assist Zelda in healing Link before you return," Nayru was the first to break the endless silence. She turned her gaze to Zelda.

Zelda nodded towards the goddess. She turned back to Midna. "We shall be waiting here. Good luck, my friend."

Midna smiled. She saw small traces of tears forming at the corners of Zelda's eyes. She nodded. "Take care of him."

Glancing one last time at Link's lifeless body, Midna turned and descended down the staircase to the underworld.

_Hang on, Link... Just hang on..._

* * *

Halfway down the staircase, Midna came to an abrupt stop. Her body was paralyzed as she took in what she saw.

Lava seemed to flow out of nowhere and create great rushing rivers that spread and scattered throughout the large area. Floating atop the rivers were large chunks of rocks drifting every which way. Fire twisters lined the edges of the great area and would occasionally sprout out of different parts of the lava rivers. And, of course, fire. Fire that heated the very soul flamed everywhere she looked.

Midna stared in horror as her eyes scanned every inch of the nightmare that lay before her. Her eyes stopped on cages. Cages made of darkness that clung to one of the floating islands. And what lay within the cages nearly ripped her heart out. Spirits, spirits who were crying out for a savior, praying for a miracle to save them from this pit of despair.

Midna took in a quick breath as she saw what was next to the crying spirits. Four glowing orbs were chained to the ground.

Finally able to move again, Midna rushed down the remainder of the stairs. She carefully jumped from one island to another until she reached the cages.

She ran up and grasped the chains that held down one of the orbs, only to pull her hand straight back again. Though the chains were made from darkness, a strange type of shock coursed through Midna's body once she touched it.

She held her hand and stood still, waiting for the pain from the shock to pass through her. She came back to the sounds of the spirits. They reached their arms out through the bars, reaching for her.

Midna approached the cages, careful not to touch the bars. "I promise I will free you." She smiled a gentle smile as she grasped the hand of a young boy who reached out for her. Her gentle words and smile sent a small stream of hope coursing through the imprisoned spirits.

_I must find a way to free them... _Midna glanced around hoping an answer would pop out at her, but none appeared. _But... How?_

The clashing sound of metal striking metal interrupted Midna's thoughts. She let go of the boy's hand and looked behind her.

Across the river of lava, on a far off island, two beings were fighting ferociously

"Link!"

* * *

"Free the Light Spirits now!"

"As I've said before, never!"

Ganondorf's and Link's swords continued to clash. They did not pause nor wait for the other's next move.

"You know you will never beat me, boy!" Ganondorf smiled evilly at Link. "You're in my domain now! The rules are different here!"

"I don't care!" Link continued to hack away at Ganondorf's sword. "I will defeat you again and I shall leave this place and go to where I truly belong!"

Link raised his sword up for another strike, but left an opening.

Ganondorf raised his foot up and kicked Link in the stomach.

Link flew back and landed at the edge of the island they were fighting on. He managed to raise his sword again to guard against Ganondorf's second strike.

"Do you know what is flowing below us, boy?" Ganondorf sneered.

Link took a quick side glance to his left. About twenty feet below them, a river of lave flowed at incredible speed. He looked back to Ganondorf. "Lava?"

"Oh, it's lava, but it's different," Ganondorf continuously added pressure as he sneered. "That is the River of the Forgotten. You fall in there, you soul won't even make it out alive!"

Link swallowed hard as he continued to fight against Ganondorf's strength.

"Well, as I always say," Link gathered up the remainder of his own strength. "I'm not going until you go first!" Link then raised his legs up until they collided with Ganondorf's stomach. He then thrusted Ganondorf over his body, sending him plummeting down into the river.

But as Ganondorf began to fall, he reached out and grabbed Link's foot.

Link felt himself being dragged off the side. He took hold of the edge of the island and struggled to hang on. Ganondorf's weight made it difficult to pull himself up, let alone hang on for much longer.

"If I'm going down, you're coming with me, boy!" Ganondorf clawed up and tried to grab Link's other foot.

Link felt his grip begin to slip. _No... _ But before he fell, he felt small, gentle hands wrap around his wrists. He looked up into a set of enchanting red eyes. "Midna?!"

"I got you, Link! Hang on!"

As Midna desperately tried to hang on to him, Link gazed down and saw the lava beginning to bubble. His eyes widened. "Midna!" Link called up. "Once you feel Ganondorf let go, pull!"

Midna nodded as Link began to kick at Ganondorf's head.

"Stupid boy!" Ganondorf tried to cease Link's kicks, but they were too fast for him.

Link brought his foot down hard onto the hand that held on to his other leg. He felt Ganondorf slip off.

"Now!"

With all her strength, Midna pulled. Just as Link came up over the edge, a fire twister sprouted out of the lava. Link could feel the intense heat from the twister.

As soon as the twister appeared, it vanished. Breathing heavily, Link and Midna glanced over the edge. For a split second, Link thought he was Ganondorf's arm rise out of the lava.

Link sighed and turned to Midna. "Thanks."

She gave a tired smile. "Anytime."

* * *

After a few moments, Link and Midna ran to the imprisoned spirits.

As Link used the Master Sword to break open the cages, the spirits began to slowly wonder out, taking in the feeling of freedom.

After all the spirits were free, Link moved over to where the light orbs were. He raised his sword and cut off the chains.

The chains dropped and the orbs suddenly shot up into the air. Link watched as they circled around each other, then headed up the long staircase.

Link sighed as a small smile crossed his face. "Let's go, Midna." He turned towards her, expecting a smile. Instead, she gazed sorrowfully at the freed spirits.

Link looked back at the once happy spirits, to see them weeping once again. He stepped up to them. "You can come with us if you want," Link called out gently to them. "You don't have to stay here."

"But, we have sinned... and given ourselves to the darkness," an old man trembled.

"We could never find the light again," a young woman wiped tears from her eyes as a little boy stood next to her.

The little boy began to cry. "And if we did find it... it would never forgive us!"

Link let out a silent chuckle. He knew just how they felt. "The light doesn't hold grudges. As long as you are willing to accept the light within yourself, you'll find it again."

Link began to hop carefully across the floating islands until he reached the base of the staircase leading back up to the world of light. He turned around and smiled at the now curious spirits. "Whoever wants to find the light, follow me."

Midna chuckled as she watched Link begin to sprint up the staircase. She nodded towards the spirits, then ran after Link.

* * *

Zelda and the goddesses watched and waited anxiously, hoping that any minute, Midna would come out with Link following closely behind her.

"Link, you're such a child!"

"And proud of it!"

Zelda's eyes widened as she heard familiar voices inching closer from the hole. _She found him._

Midna appeared. She ran out onto the sand, panting and smiling.

Zelda looked around. Her hope faded when she didn't see Link with the Twilight Princess.

"I beat you!" Link's voice spoke out from the air, laughter filled his voice.

Zelda glanced at Midna curiously.

Midna just smiled and pointed to her right, though no one was there.

Just then, four light orbs shot out of the hell hole, casting a light upon Midna. Zelda's eyes widened as she saw the light reflect off of a shadow that stood next to her.

"Link..."

The light orbs shot up to the sky and circled around the Mirror Chamber, casting a bright light upon them. Zelda and the goddesses watched as Link's spirit crossed the Chamber and halted before his body that lay on the ground between Nayru and Zelda.

He glanced down at it. He was happy to see that the bloody hole that was his heart was completely healed.

After a few moments, Link knelt down and laid himself into his body. It only took a few seconds for his spirit to join together with his body again.

Link took in a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Zelda couldn't control the tears that sprang to her eyes. She knelt down and embraced Link.

"Hey, easy, Zelda," Link knew he was healed, but he was still sore.

"Sorry," Zelda loosened her grip around his neck.

The three goddesses smiled. They looked at each other.

"Our task has been fulfilled," Nayru started gently.

"We must return now," Din finished.

Link tried to prop himself up, but found it to be rather difficult. Zelda helped him to sit up. "Do you mind if you take some people with you?"

The goddesses looked curiously to where Link weakly pointed. Their gaze rested on Midna, but she wasn't alone anymore. Hundreds of spirits crowded behind her. They trembled with fear at seeing the goddesses.

"They wish to find the light," Midna stepped away from the spirits as the goddesses approached them.

Din smiled down at them. "Do not be afraid. Are you all willing to let go of your past sins and accept light?"

Slowly, the spirits began to nod.

"Are you willing to be kind and courteous to those around you and help those who want to find light?" Nayru stepped up.

The spirits began to nod with more energy.

"Are you willing to risk your life to fight for what you believe in?" Farore finished.

The spirits smiled, and eagerly nodded. Tears began to flow down their cheeks.

The three goddesses smiled. "Then follow us." They spoke in unison.

At that moment, the spirits began to glow a gentle blue color. Every single face held a smile.

"I feel... warm!"

"I feel happiness!"

"I have never felt so wonderful!"

As the spirits rejoiced, their beings began to form into raindrop-like particles. They began to drift upward.

Din was the first to rise into the sky. She smiled down. "Thank you. All of you." She then looked up and took off towards the heavens, hundreds of teardrop spirits followed after her.

Nayru lowered her head and nudged Zelda's cheek.

Zelda brought her hand up and patted her.

"We'll watch out for you," Nayru smiled gently, then took off into the air after Din.

"I'll be right up." Link heard Farore call up to Nayru.

"Don't take too long." Nayru glanced one final time at Link and Zelda, then disappeared into the clouds.

The light orbs that circled around the Mirror Chamber unexpectedly dashed off towards the field.

"Come on, it'll be a better view from the sky." Farore smiled as she picked up Link, Zelda, and Midna. She gently placed them onto her back and leapt into the air.

As they rose above the Chamber, Midna, Zelda, and Link watched in amazement as the light orbs scattered to different corners of Hyrule.

One orb dove down into the depths of Lake Hylia. One dashed across the sky towards Death Mountain. The remaining two orbs traveled together towards the woods.

Link, Zelda, and Midna smiled as Farore flew gracefully across the Lake and gently landed in the field in front of Castle Town.

Farore lowered herself to the ground, creating a simple way for the young ones to reach the soft grass. A small smile crossed her face. "Now, I must go." Sadness filled the goddesses' gentle blue eyes.

Link approached Farore's lowered head and wrapped his arms around her nose. He sighed. "Thank you for everything."

Farore gently nudged Link. "I shall miss you, my friend."

Link stepped away from Farore. They stared at each other for a few moments, then the goddess of courage turned her gaze to the sky, leapt into the air, and flew towards the clouds. Link continued to watch until Farore's form disappeared from his sight.

"Link." Link turned his gaze towards Zelda. A mile drifted across her face as she pointed to the Eastern sky. "Look."

Link hadn't realized that the sky was slowly lighting up. He followed Zelda's gaze. His eyes rested on a light that began to rise and glow on the Eastern horizon.

"The sun."


	12. Epilogue: New Life, Restored Light

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Zelda, but it doesn't bother me anymore because I am done with my story!

**Author's Note:** Yes, this is the final chapter for Shattered Twilight. I hope you all enjoyed it. I would like to take this time to thank all of my reviewers, readers, subscribers, and so on. Here are the few I would personally like to thank: **A Piece of Rotten Fish**,** Doruntrus**,** HUNG DEAD SCREAMING**,** Ldbrenes**, **Martiny the one and only still**,** Miss-Mitchie**,** Mistieana**,** PJ141991**,** Shadow Archer**,** Twilight Princess6**,** Twilightwing**,** Victoria-BlackHeart**,** catkitten12**,** mystergal3189**,** Dragon's Assistant**,** NUTCASE71733**,** Orion of the Kokiri**,** Skyler Maepa**,** and foolish-name**. If I have forgotten or misspelled any names, I'm sorry, but know that I thank you all for your support. Enjoy the last chapter.

* * *

**Epilogue - New Life, Restored Light**

Midna, Link, and Zelda lay upon the soft grass, enjoying the light from the rising sun and the warm rays it cast down upon them.

Link sighed as he closed his eyes. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see the sun."

Zelda and Midna nodded in agreement.

"I must return to the Twilight Realm." Link's eyes flew open. He watched Midna slowly rise from the ground. She gazed across Lake Hylia towards the thin outline of the desert. "I left my people without telling them where I was going. They are probably in a panic right about now." Her soft chuckle filled the air.

Link rose from the ground and stood beside Midna. "We'll... see you from time to time... right?"

Midna turned and gazed into Link's feral blue eyes. His face held worry. She knew he was afraid she might repeat her past actions. She smiled. "You worry too much." She then leaned forward and lightly kissed Link's cheek. "I'll see you later."

With those words, Midna's form disappeared into shadow particles as she transported herself back to the desert.

Link stood with a dumbfounded look on his face as he stared endlessly into space.

"How are you feeling?"

Link snapped back to reality as he heard Zelda's gently voice behind him. He turned around to face the Princess.

"I'm fine. I've never felt better in my life."

Zelda nodded slowly, looking down to the ground. Link looked at her curiously.

"I thought I lost you..." Zelda's voice came out in such a quiet whisper that Link had to hone into his wolf senses just to pick up shat she had said. "I thought I was never going to see you again..."

Link gently placed his hand under Zelda's chin and lifted her face until his eyes met hers.

"The sensation of dying was not pleasant and I don't want to relive it anytime soon." Link smiled. "So, I'm not going anywhere."

A sudden neigh was heard in the distance. Link and Zelda turned towards the field to see a familiar mare galloping towards them.

"Epona?! Where have you been?" Link couldn't help but smile as Epona whinnied happily and nudged at Link's face.

After warm greetings, Link took a moment to inspect Epona's body. He found no scratch, no bruise, no trace of any bodily injury. He looked curiously into her mysterious, dark brown eyes. "Where exactly do you go while I'm fighting?"

Link's curiosity disappeared as he heard distant cheers rising into the air from the castle.

"I guess I should go," Zelda said quietly, though she did not budge.

"I guess..." Link slowly turned and readied to mount Epona.

"Link?!" Zelda took a step towards him.

"What's wrong?!" Link was almost relieved; he did not want to leave the Princess yet.

"I..." Zelda paused. She only continued when she saw the look in Link's eyes that told her to go on. "I need you, Link."

Link stared in shock as Zelda continued. "I can't live without you. I... would like to spend the rest of my life... with you."

Still in shock, Link didn't know how to reply. He could see Zelda blushing, which made him blush as well.

"Zelda," Link started as he took her small hands into his. "Zelda, I have feelings for you. But, I'm not ready to make that commitment. At least, not yet. Hyrule needs to get back on its feet again, and you and I need to do our own part to help. I promise that I'll always be there for you. And, maybe, in the near future, we could be together."

Link felt terrible, afraid he had upset the Princess. But Zelda just smiled up at him.

"All right," she nodded. "I will wait for that time."

Unexpectedly, Zelda saw Link's face inch closer to hers. Before she knew it, his lips pressed against hers.

Time seemed to stop as Link flowed his love for her through his kiss. Zelda equally returned her love for him.

Link slowly pulled away. He raised his hand and gently moved the hair that draped over her face behind her ear. He leaned in close again and whispered. "I love you, Princess."

With those words, Link turned and walked towards Epona. He mounted his stead and rode off without looking back.

Zelda stood still, holding onto the moment as she watched Link's form ride off across the field.

"I love you, Chosen Hero."

A broad smile crossed Link's face as he rode across the plains. The power of Epona's legs beating beneath him, the wind blowing through his hair.

Link turned Epona so they were now riding towards the rising sun. He soaked in the light and warmth. And, he could've sworn, he saw a small, blue teardrop rising up to the heavens.

"Life..." Link breathed in the fresh morning air. "Bring on everything you got," he reached behind him and unsheathed the Master Sword. Its new found power coursed within him, making him feel unstoppable. "I'm ready for you."

* * *

A single island floated far down in the Twilight Abyss. Atop it, a figure lay motionless, convincing all that he was gone.

But upon the back of his right hand, a symbol began to glow. The figure began to move. His hand slowly clenched into a fist, the triforce of power continuously glowing brighter.

"Boy, you will regret the day you ever messed with me," Ganondorf growled as he slowly began to rise to his feet. He sneered. "Beware, Link... I'm back."

* * *

**Look out for the sequel "Deceptive Shadow"!**


End file.
